Building on a Strong Foundation

from My Jarrell Monthly • February 2023

Uplifting People from All Walks of Life

Community engagement, a strong relationship with the school district, and a fully staffed police team dedicated to keeping Jarrell safe as it continues to grow. These constitute the foundation of the Jarrell Police Department, which Kevin Denney has built over the last two-and-ahalf years as police chief.

Growing The Team

When Chief Denney came on board in August 2020, the department had just six officers including himself. Today, it has grown to nine officers plus Interim Chief Pacer Korn, and, Chief Denney says, “As the region grows over the next few years, I'm certain the department will increase in size exponentially. For most of my officers, this their first police job, so we don’t have cops that have been in many departments. Most of them came straight out of the academy and they want to focus on staying in Jarrell. They are eager to contribute as foundational pieces of the police department as the department and community grow.”

Among the officers’ goals is to develop a cohesive relationship with the school district, which has resulted in one new resource officer at the high school and one at the middle school. “It was probably the biggest contribution in the last two-and-a-half years toward overall safety in the area,” the chief says.

The department has also instituted several community programs, including a women’s self-defense class and child car seat installations and inspections, in which officers are trained to inspect or install child car seats and provide seats if needed.

Continuing Success

While searching for a new police chief, Interim Chief Korn says he wants to maintain the department’s success and Kevin’s philosophy of community policing a goal supported by city council. “I think most of us are thankful for everything Chief Denney was able to do for the police department,” Mayor Patrick Sherek says. “He has grown it to where we have 24/7 patrol, and I believe the partnership with the schools is a great thing for the city. I would like to see that continue.”

“My heart is in the Jarrell area, and spending two-and-a-half years as a police chief has been a tremendous experience for me. It’s something I’ll never forget, and I’ll take with me what I’ve learned to other positions. The things I’ve learned in Jarrell, the people, and the officers, I’ve been lucky enough to be part of it and will never forget.”

When it comes to funding plans, Mayor Sherek is relying on his colleagues’ expertise as he steps into his new role. “I took the oath in November I’m trying to learn everything the police department does for the city. Being new, I’m relying on my council members to get me up to speed on funding activities, and I don’t see cutting any of the department’s budget. I believe, as a full-time police department, their budget is as small as it can be. Still, as the city continues to grow, we will need to continue to hire and train police officers.”

The council gave officers significant raises two years ago and Councilwoman Rusty Bryson doesn’t know if they will give the police department more funding right now. She says their officers are among the highest paid for cities of Jarrell’s size and council typically evaluates employee salaries on an annual basis. She adds, “Councils will come and go, but our employees won’t. We have to take care of our police department and everyone in it.”

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