TERRELL, Texas — Terrell Police Department Interim Chief Ken McKeown has been named the permanent replacement after the position was vacated by retiring Chief Jody Lay earlier this year.
TERRELL, Texas — Terrell Police Department Interim Chief Ken McKeown has been named the permanent replacement after the position was vacated by retiring Chief Jody Lay earlier this year.
McKeown has been serving as the interim chief since Lay's retirement on May 31, 2017. He was selected among 62 applicants from a nation-wide search conducted by Strategic Government Resources.
"I am proud of the fact that the City of Terrell has an experienced professional law enforcement officer who has worked his way up through the ranks within the Terrell Police Department for over two decades," Terrell City Manager Torry Edwards said of McKeown's appointment. "With great enthusiasm, I am confident in Ken’s ability to lead the police department in protecting the citizens of Terrell and preserving the peace of our community.”
The mayor and city council members supported McKeown's appointment and emphasized safety was a top community priority, according to a City of Terrell press release.
"Over the last seven months, Ken has served in an interim capacity," stated Edwards. "During that time, crime continues to trend downward."
"In my observation of Ken’s leadership of the department, I support Ken’s policing methods to ensure a safe Terrell community," he said. "Ken is the right fit at the right time in the history of Terrell to advance the Terrell Police Department to the next level."
Edwards says he received several recommendations from law enforcement professionals from the East Texas region in support of McKeown.
The Terrelll Police Officers' Association also endorsed McKeown for the top cop position.
"Ken exhibits the temperament vital in today’s atmosphere of policing methodologies with 24 years of experience in policing and he holds a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Maryland," continued the release.
Lay served as chief for eight years prior to his retirement.
