SAN MARCOS, Texas – The City of San Marcos has narrowed its search for its next chief of police to two candidates: Robert Brown, current chief of police for the city of Duncanville and Stan Standridge, current chief of police in Abilene.
City officials whittled down the original applicant pool from 92 applicants to five earlier this month. Brown and Standridge will undergo the final stages of the interview process by early November, including a public meet and greet, the city said.
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Last week, the five finalists participated in interview panels made up of community stakeholders, community partners, police department personnel, department directors and the city’s executive team.
Interim Chief of Police Bob Klett was one of the five finalists for the position, City Manager Bert Lumbreras said the decision to cut Klett from the list was “not easy.”
“This was not an easy decision to make as Interim Chief Bob Klett was one of our five finalists and he has provided outstanding leadership and service over the past year," Lumbreras said in a statement. “He’s led the SMPD through adversity and we are humbled and grateful to have him continue his leadership as assistant chief of police."
The city will conduct the following events as part of the final interview process:
- Wednesday, Oct. 14: Public Meet & Greet (details to be announced)
- Thursday, Oct. 15: Interviews with City Manager
- Late Oct. or Early Nov.: Council Confirmation of Police Chief (date to be announced)
San Marcos officials say they will release more information about the meet and greet opportunity on the San Marcos Police Department Facebook page once plans are finalized.
Bios of both Brown and Standridge provided by the city of San Marcos can be read in full below:
Chief Robert Brown
Chief Brown was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Duncanville, Texas on February 5th, 2007 and began his law enforcement career in Waco, Texas as a police cadet in June of 1982.
Brown served as a field training officer in Waco and joined the University Park Police Department in 1994. He worked in many capacities and advanced through the ranks very quickly; becoming the first African American sergeant, lieutenant, and captain in the history of the University Park Police Department.
Brown earned a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from Northwood University and holds a Master of Business Administration Degree in Management from Amberton University. Brown is a graduate of the 38th Management College from the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration (ILEA) in Plano, Texas. He is also a graduate of the prestigious FBI National Academy, Session #216, in Quantico, Virginia. He holds a Master Peace Officer certification from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE).
Chief Stan Standridge:
Standridge has served more than 25 years with the Abilene Police Department, for the last eleven years he has served as the chief of police.
Chief Standridge currently serves as the president of the Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA), an organization that seeks to promote the professional practice of law enforcement and advocates for the highest standards of ethical conduct among today’s peace officers.
Standridge has a Master of Public Administration degree from Sam Houston State University and is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He graduated from LEMIT’s Leadership Command College in 2009 and the FBI’s Law Enforcement Executive Development (LEADS) program in 2018.
Standridge is the recipient of numerous awards, including 20 Under 40 Business Leader, Executive Leadership Award, I-CAN Hero, and the TPCA’s Innovation Award. He has chaired the State’s Officer Safety Committee and worked with his team to create VINCIBLE--a statewide program that works to reduce police officer line of duty deaths and injuries in Texas–which is used by more than 1,500 police agencies, including the San Marcos Police Department.