About your Chief of Police

More Than You Ever Cared to Know About Your Chief of Police

     My early years.... born in Dallas Texas, my mother was raised in Southeast Dallas (Pleasant Grove), and her parents lived there for many years.  I spent a good bit of the 70s and 80s and even the 90s running around up there.  My father was raised in Canton, Texas (Van Zandt Co.) and my grandfather and his brothers were all ranchers.  My parents moved to Bryan, Texas where I attended Allen Academy from 2nd to 8th grade, with the exception of my 6th-grade year at St. Joseph's Catholic School. We moved back to Van Zandt Co. (Wills Point) and I attended 2 years of high school there. Somehow or another my father found Lytle and purchased some commercial property and we ended up down here.

     My public safety service to this community began as a senior at Lytle High School (I graduated in 1988). I joined the Lytle Volunteer Fire Department and stayed active with them for ten years. While still active with the Lytle VFD, I joined Lytle EMS and volunteered on the ambulance. I spent a couple of years in the early 90s as a volunteer Asst. Fire Marshal for the city too! As if three volunteer jobs were not enough, I attended the San Antonio College Police Academy and received my Peace Officer License in May of 1991. I served one year with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office as a Reserve Deputy (under Sheriff Harlan Copeland) then four and one-half years as a Reserve Deputy with the Medina County Sheriff’s Office (under Sheriff Wesley Scott). I got my start in municipal law enforcement when I signed on as a non-paid officer with the Natalia Police Department in late 1996. I had settled in well, but in March of 1997, I was approached by Lytle Police Chief Kathy Ray who, due to several unexpected resignations, was very short-handed.

     I joined the Lytle Police Department in March of 1997 as a non-paid peace officer. Over the next two years, I was promoted to Senior Police Officer, Corporal, and Sergeant. In August 1999 I became the Acting Chief of Police when Chief Kathy Ray resigned unexpectedly. I served as the non-paid acting chief supervising five full-time officers until I was appointed interim chief and was moved to part-time paid status. City Council approved my appointment and promotion to full-time Chief of Police effective October 18, 1999.