Thursday, March 28, 2024

Tolar City Council establishes one-man police department

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TOLAR — For the first time in years, Tolar has a police chief.

The City Council, at its regular meeting Monday night, voted to hire Assistant Fire Chief Ray Wilson for the position. The vote was unanimous among the council members who were present. Sally Grimes of Place 2 was not in attendance.

“We’ve been working on this a long time,” Mayor Matt Hutsell stated when opening the discussion. He noted that the city has already bought a car to be used for law enforcement purposes and that he felt it was time for the growing community to begin establishing a police department and maybe even a court.

“I feel like the demand is there,” he said.

Wilson, who was present at the meeting and responded to questions, previously served as Hood County’s fire marshal and emergency management coordinator. He said that he holds a master peace officer license.

Council member Chip Foster said that speed enforcement “is not a priority” for city leadership and that he didn’t want the police chief to “just sit on 377 and catch speeders.”

Hutsell expressed a desire for the police chief to “see and be seen” in the community. Wilson said he wants to “reach out to the school district.”

Council member Brian Gall commented that Wilson’s previous stint as the county’s emergency management coordinator goes “hand in hand” with the responsibilities of a police chief.

Council members noted that it had been years, almost a decade, since the town had a police chief.

“We’ve had several come and go,” Hutsell said. “Most of them didn’t work out.”

The council agreed to offer the job to Wilson even though no determination had been made on salary and benefits. It was decided that City Secretary Michelle Burdette will put together a salary package to be discussed by the parties at a later date. Wilson agreed to that plan.

Burdette said that cubicle space will be created for Wilson at City Hall.

In an interview with the Hood County News after the vote, Wilson said that his first order of business will be to contact the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement to make sure that all requirements for creating a police department are met.

He said that he also wants to contact Sheriff Roger Deeds, Granbury Police Chief Mitch Galvan and highway patrol sergeants with the Texas Department of Public Safety. He noted that Tolar’s proximity to the nuclear power plant in Glen Rose is one reason why relationships with other law enforcement agencies will be important.

As for how soon the police department will grow to include more than just him, Wilson made no predictions.

“We’re just starting,” he said.