John S. Galvan<\/a> has served as interim chief of police since April.<\/p>\n City of Taft welcomes Kirk Massey as new chief of police<\/p>\n Massey was offered the position by the previous city council, which drew mixed reactions on social media. However, the City of Taft<\/a> noted that Massey interviewed for the position in September, and his employment was discussed at an October council meeting.<\/p>\n Massey also participated in multiple community meet-and-greets following the job offer. Those events \u201cwere quite positive,\u201d Massey told KRIS 6 News.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I first came here for my first interview and drove around the city, stopping at the stores and just talking to people in general, the friendliness\u2014you could feel that sense of community,\u201d Massey explained. He said that community atmosphere drew him to the position.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something that I really want to be a part of,\u201d he said. \u201cI grew up in a small town when I was younger, a lot like this, and that sense of community was very important.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam Beam<\/p>\n Taft Chief of Police Kirk Massey speaks with San Patricio County Precint #1 Commissioner William Ski Zagorski\u00a0after being sworn-in on Tuesday, December 2.<\/p>\n Before accepting the role in Taft, Massey served with the Brownsville Police Department for more than 30 years as a commander. In 2018, he accused former Brownsville PD leadership of retaliation after he and another officer were fired for their union work.<\/a> Massey was serving as vice president of the union at the time.<\/p>\n The city settled the case, and both officers were reinstated.<\/p>\n Reflecting on Taft\u2019s own history with law enforcement and local government, Massey said he does not \u201cconcern himself with the past.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal is to move this department forward through community engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n Part of that path forward, he said, is his \u201c100-Day Plan,\u201d which will involve continuous meetings with city leadership and community members and \u201cbuilding that trust\u201d in the police department. Over time, the plan will expand to upgrading the department\u2019s technical operations, but for now, community building is the priority.<\/p>\n \u201cMy goal is to be able to turn this department over to whoever the next chief is in the future as a turnkey department,\u201d Massey said. \u201cThe collaboration between the community and the police department\u2014I don\u2019t think it\u2019s weak right now. There\u2019s a lot of support for police in the city, but that can always be strengthened.\u201d<\/p>\n One initiative Massey will implement starting Wednesday, and recurring each week, is an open-door opportunity for the community to meet with him.<\/p>\n For the latest local news updates, click here<\/a>, or download the KRIS 6 News App.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n