By Christopher Cook
Being born and raised in White Settlement, I was excited about getting the opportunity to return to my hometown once I retired from the Arlington Police Department as a deputy police chief.
I was appointed to the role of chief of police for White Settlement in 2022. At the time, my wife Zhivonni was working as a police officer for the city of Mansfield. We were living in Mansfield, and we started making preparations to find housing in White Settlement. We chose a plot of vacant land in town in the Silver Creek area, where we built our new home and moved in on Dec. 21, 2024.
Over the past year, it has been refreshing to call White Settlement home again in the town that I grew up in and now continue to serve and protect.
There’s something special about living in the town that you serve. As a suburban community in Tarrant County, White Settlement is known as the gateway to national defense as thousands of employees transverse daily between the F-35 aircraft production plant operated by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. and the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth.
Without fail, we get to hear the sounds of freedom overhead and see firsthand our military in action as they perform daily flight operations. Our family considers that a major perk living so close to a military aviation defense contractor and air station.
Growing up in White Settlement as a kid in the ’70s and ’80s, I would ride my bicycle every weekend and visit the former Southwest Aerospace Museum that was located next to then- General Dynamics and Carswell Air Force Base. The museum would eventually shutter its doors with many of the static aircraft relocated to the Fort Worth Aviation Museum.
The town always catered to military aviation and most of our friends and family worked at the aircraft plant or base. I think that’s why White Settlement has never lost its small hometown charm of being an instrumental part of our country’s commitment to freedom and defense. Nestled on the western edges of Tarrant County and surrounded by Fort Worth, this area is really the epicenter of freedom as it pertains to advanced and highly capable military aircraft.
Another hidden gem of White Settlement is the amount of community engagement opportunities and park amenities available across its 5.2 square miles. Whether it’s attending our local water park, taking in a nostalgic stroll at Silver Wheel Skating Rink that opened in 1952, or running the trails at Veterans Park, there is always something going on across town where residents and visitors can enjoy.
As police chief, we have really challenged our team to also offer multiple community initiatives that are fun, rewarding and educational for the whole family. From Back the Boo Trunk or Treat, National Night Out, touch-a-truck, Kona Ice days, parades, summer celebration, and many others, there is no shortage of events to reinforce the town’s family atmosphere and Southern charm. Having the buy-in from City Manager Jeffrey James and our elected officials across the City Council led by Mayor Faron Young, community trust and connections are important and prioritized each year.
As far as schools, this is another reason we relocated back to town. White Settlement ISD has some great opportunities for all adolescent age groups. We continue to be amazed by how robust their special programs structure is.
We’re parents of a special needs child who absolutely loved her senior year at Brewer High School. She now attends their transition center that has been phenomenal to increase her skill sets and assist with adulthood following graduation. We also have a young teen at Brewer Middle School who has enjoyed both the level of academic rigor and vocational/athletic programs offered outside of the classroom. White Settlement ISD Superintendent Frank Molinar and his leadership team really care about the overall success of the student body and work hard to address any questions or concerns that may arise throughout the academic year. There are also multiple private and charter school options across town for families.
From a faith-based perspective, there are many options to attend various churches and faith-based institutions. Our police department’s Pastor’s Coalition has been instrumental in assisting families in need, serving in food distributions, helping during emergencies, and conducting positive outreach at local events. I really believe that this reinforces the town’s caring spirit and “can-do” attitude.
The last element of the town that I want to highlight that I believe unifies our population is what I refer to as neighborhood vitality. Literally, you can be dining in a restaurant, shopping at a retail store, getting a haircut, or simply walking your dog in the neighborhood, and most everyone knows everyone and people will take the time to greet you and have a genuine conversation. This is really what sets White Settlement apart from a lot of the other large urban centers.
I love the fact that people are friendly, they care, and will lend a helping hand to complete strangers in need. This is the town that I remember growing up in and this is the town that has maintained the culture of caring for one another throughout its history. Every community has challenges, and we are certainly not immune from challenges. Our people across town are its greatest strength. Our employees across town are the foundational bridge between government and the people we serve.
At the end of the day, the caring spirit and collaborative attitude is why I am proud to call White Settlement home. This is why we chose to live and work in my hometown.
Christopher Cook was appointed police chief of White Settlement in April 2022. He is the author of “The Art of Strategic Communication: A Police Chief’s Guide To Mastering Soundbites, Storytelling, And Community Engagement.”
White Settlement (76108)
Total population: 44,762
Female: 51% | Male: 49%
Age
0-9: 13%
10-19: 16%
20-29: 11%
30-39: 17%
40-49: 12%
50-59: 12%
60-69: 11%
70-79: 6%
80 and older: 2%
Education
No degree: 11%
High school: 28%
Some college: 33%
Bachelor’s degree: 18%
Post-graduate: 9%
Race
White: 52% | Asian: 3%| Hispanic: 32%| Black: 8%| Two or more: 4%
Click on the link to view the schools’ Texas Education Agency ratings**:
Source: Census Reporter
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