Weslaco selects new police chief

WESLACO - The Weslaco City Commission named a new police chief Wednesday night.

Jose Perez Jr. succeeds interim Police Chief Art Avila, who also leads the Fire Department.

The city's top-cop position became vacant when interim City Manager Francisco Castellanos fired J.D. Martinez, the previous police chief, last month.

Perez has worked in law enforcement for 32 years, including 24 years with Weslaco.

He's currently working as a school officer with the Progreso Police Department but has also served as chief of police in Edcouch.

About 10 people applied for the position, including several internal candidates, Castellanos said.

Castellanos, who recommended Perez to the commission, said that as a long-time Weslaco cop who now works elsewhere, Perez brings a unique perspective to the city.

"He has a long history with the department," the interim city manager said. "He knows many of the people in the department and has relationships with them."

"He's a fresh set of eyes, but he's familiar with the players."

Perez served as an interim police chief in Weslaco in 1990 and 1995.

Castellanos sacked Martinez last month along with the city's public works director and three others.

The interim city manager stressed at the time that the moves were not political, even though Martinez had been rumored to be on the chopping block long before his termination. Castellanos said the erstwhile police chief and the other employers were let go solely for financial reasons.

But Wednesday, less than three weeks after Martinez's termination, the City Commission voted to hire a replacement.

Castellanos said he had hoped the city could save money by employing a public safety administrator who would oversee both the Fire Department and the Police Department - hence Martinez's ouster.

But shortly after letting Martinez go, the interim city manager said, he learned from the City Commission that Weslaco's charter requires a police chief, prompting him to search for a replacement for Martinez.

Perez and Castellanos are now negotiating the new chief's salary and his start date.

This is the second time city leaders have turned to a familiar face in recent weeks.

In May, the municipality tapped Castellanos to oversee the city's day-to-day operations after Anthony Covacevich resigned as city manager. Castellanos led the city from 1994 to 2003.

Perez's duties will include helping to cut costs within the Police Department, Mayor Buddy De La Rosa said.

The newly named police chief said Wednesday night, however, that he had not yet discussed any cost-saving measures with Castellanos.

A recent report from credit rating firm Standard & Poor's cited growing expenditures in the city's public safety budget as one reason for the city's financial woes.

The new police chief will also lead a department that has been hit with several lawsuits from one of its police unions.

Perez said he will work closely with officers to try to keep them happy and promote a productive work environment. He also plans to work on improving relations with residents.

"We'll be more in touch with the community and deal with them one-on-one," he said.

Perez worked his way up through the ranks of the Weslaco department, starting off as a patrol officer and eventually becoming an investigator, sergeant, commander and interim chief before retiring in 2004.

He served as the chief of the Edcouch Police Department from 2005 to 2007 before resigning as the financially struggling city decimated its own police force.

Perez has worked since September as a school officer with the Progreso Police Department and owns a security company.