Reimagining Policing: Shawn Reynolds is sworn in as TPD chief
With his Temple Police Department badge pinned to his chest, Shawn Reynolds took the oath of office Thursday, officially swearing him in as Chief of Police.
“It’s an honor to be afforded the opportunity to continue to wear the uniform and serve the residents of Temple,” Reynolds said. “I look forward to many years here helping to restore and build relationships, to continue to do better work where we need to and to build relationships across this entire community.”
Reynolds was tapped to lead the Temple Police Department in June 2020. Though he’s been on the job for several months, Reynolds recently completed his state certification to become a Texas police officer. He previously served as the deputy chief of operations for the City of Olathe, Kansas.
Now, Temple’s top law enforcement officer is turning his full focus to evaluating every aspect of the Temple Police Department and its operations.
“We went on a journey to reimagine policing, and one of the first things I wanted to do was spend some time talking about our mission statement,” Reynolds said. “It was an employee-centric process. Listening to members of the community, we were able to develop our new mission statement.”
The new mission statement will factor into every decision the department makes: “Serving, protecting and working with our community to prevent, reduce and solve crime with integrity, honor and dedication.”
“That’s going to be the mantra as we move forward as an organization,” Reynolds said. “It’s going to be involved in every discussion we have – from policy discussions, to fiscal implications, to how and why we do what we do.”
After Reynolds took the oath of office, Mayor Tim Davis commented on the police chief’s evident dedication to public service.
“After all the years that he’s been doing this, he still has the passion and a fervor for what he does, which is to serve and protect,” Davis said. “That makes me very comfortable and happy with the decision to bring him on board.”