Two finalists have been named in the City of San Marcos’ search for a new police chief.
Duncanville Police Chief Robert Brown and Abilene Police Chief Stan Standridge were selected as finalists from among a pool of five candidates. The city interviewed the five candidates last week after it received 92 applications from across the nation for the police chief position.
Brown and Standridge will participate in a public meet and greet on Oct. 14 and a one-on-one interview with City Manager Bert Lumbreras on Oct. 15 as the final part of the interview process. The city announced that it will name a new police chief in late October or early November. A later date will be announced, the city said.
Brown was appointed as Duncanville’s police chief on Feb. 5, 2007. He began his law enforcement career in Waco as a police cadet in June 1982. He worked as a field training officer in Waco and joined the University Park Police Department in 1994. During his tenure with the University Park PD, he became the department’s first African American sergeant, lieutenant and captain. He’s received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Northwood University and earned a Master of Business Administration Degree in Management from Amberton University. He holds a Master Peace Officer certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.
Standridge has worked as the Abilene Police Department’s Chief of Police for the last 11 years. He’s worked for APD for over 25 years. He is currently the President of the Texas Police Chiefs Association. Standridge holds a Master Public Administration degree from Sam Houston State University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. Standridge has earned multiple awards: 20 Under 40 Business Leader, Executive Leadership Award, I-CAN Hero, and the TPCA’s Innovation Award. Standridge chaired Texas’s Officer Safety Committee and helped create VINCIBLE — a state program that aims to reduce police officer line of duty deaths and injuries — which is used by over 1,500 police agencies, including the San Marcos Police Department.
Lumbreras said the finalist decision was difficult with current Interim Chief of Police Bob Klett among the five finalists originally named.
“(Klett) has provided outstanding leadership and service over the past year,” Lumbreras said. “His guidance and fortitude throughout a year filled with tragedy with severe injuries to three officers and the line of duty death of Officer Justin Putnam have shown his ability to guide a heartbroken team and to heal our community. He’s led the SMPD through adversity and we are humbled and grateful to have him continue his leadership as Assistant Chief of Police.”
The five original finalists took part in a multitude of interview panels consisting of community stakeholders, community partners, police department personnel, department directors and the city’s executive team last week.
“It was a thorough process and we look forward to introducing chief Brown and chief Standridge to the community as we move toward selecting the next Chief of Police for San Marcos,” Lumbreras said
The city has received assistance from Ralph Andersen & Associates during the search process, which has also included an online community survey. The survey asked a variety of questions regarding department priorities, community engagement and desired qualities for the next police chief. The city received 1,089 responses, which were analyzed in July and August. City councilmembers also participated in a Zoom virtual introduction of the candidates last week.
Additional information regarding the candidate meet and greet will be released in press release and the SMPD Facebook page when plans are finalized.
