Jersey Village police department bid chief farewell, welcome new leader
Published: Mon, 02/12/24
Jersey Village police department to bid chief farewell, welcome new leader
By Emily Lincke
Community Impact
With his last official day as Jersey Village's police chief, Kirk Riggs (right) attended his last Jersey Village City Council meeting on Jan. 22. (Emily Lincke/Community Impact)
On Feb. 10, the Jersey Village community will be saying goodbye to its police chief, who has led the city’s police department for about four years, and honoring the police department’s new leader.
Explained
Jersey Village Police Chief Kirk Riggs said he will be retiring, with March 1 slated as his last official day. Lt. Danny Keele, the department’s criminal investigations division commander, was selected to take over as chief. Keele will officially begin Feb. 10.
Riggs said he will be moving to work as chief for a smaller rural department outside of Dallas. He said he appreciates the support of the Jersey Village community during his time as chief.
“Every city I've worked in, we've had good support in ... the community, but it's just this city goes beyond others. They just have always embraced us anytime we need them. ... I think it's important to have the type of officers that we do have here that do care about the community,” Riggs said.
How we got here
In March 2020, Riggs officially began leading Jersey Village’s police department. He first served as interim chief, taking over for former Police Chief Eric Foerster in November 2019.
In October, Riggs announced his retirement, and Jersey Village city leaders began a nationwide search for his replacement. Riggs said about 58 applicants were considered before Keele was chosen from a final three.
Riggs said he hoped an internal hire would be chosen for Jersey Village’s next chief.
“Our vision is striving for excellence through community involvement, one interaction at a time. ... They'll continue to do that,” Riggs said.
Going forward
Riggs and Keele agreed their biggest hope for the department is to see it fully staffed one day.
“It's a goal that's difficult in law enforcement to be fully staffed. ... That would be my goal for them,” Riggs said. “In my ... four and a half years, I think we were full for like six weeks. So that's always a goal for any administration.”
In a Jan. 26 email, Keele said law enforcement agencies across the U.S. have seen staffing levels decline due to “the pandemic and various civil unrest incidents nationwide.”
“We are dedicated to identifying individuals who are committed in their determination to combat crime, uphold the trust between our organization and the community, display compassion, discipline, and have an unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in our community,” Keele said.
Digging deeper
Keele said he:
- Grew up in Katy and Houston, graduating from Katy High School
- Earned a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Lamar University
- Has worked in law enforcement since 2002 in roles such as officer for the Mesquite Police Department and the Cy-Fair ISD Police Department
Marking a milestone
Keele will be sworn in on Feb. 10 with a ceremony at 4 p.m. at the Jersey Village Civic Center, which is located at 16327 Lakeview Drive, Jersey Village.
A celebration will be held afterward from 5-7 p.m. at Senate Avenue Brewing Company—located at 16000 Dillard Drive, Ste. F, Jersey Village—and the community is welcome to attend.
Shawn Arrajj contributed to this report.