Amarillo citizens meet police chief finalists

Choosing a new police chief is one of the most consequential decisions a city can make. The chief sets the tone for departmental culture, shapes long-term public safety priorities, and influences how officers and residents work together. This week, Amarillo residents were given a rare and meaningful opportunity: a public meet-and-greet with the three finalists vying to lead the Amarillo Police Department (APD).

The event, held in Room 3400 of City Hall, gave Amarilloans the chance to hear directly from Interim APD Chief Jimmy Johnson, Irving PD Assistant Chief Thomas Hover, and Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) Executive Director Gregory Stevens. While each candidate brings decades of experience to the table, they also brought something equally important—distinct visions for the future of policing in Amarillo.

Jimmy Johnson: Leading the Department He Calls Home

Interim Chief Jimmy Johnson has spent his entire 37-plus-year career at the Amarillo Police Department. For him, the role of chief isn’t just another professional stepping-stone; it’s deeply personal. Johnson explained that he always felt called to be in law enforcement, saying, “You don’t realize till years later that what that is is a calling… and that was my calling – to be an Amarillo police officer.”

Johnson emphasized his long-term commitment to building and sustaining progress within the department. Over the past ten months, his focus has been maintaining momentum on major projects, including the Regional Crime Center. “We have fundamentally changed policing by the use of our resources we have, and being able to extrapolate the data that we use,” he said. According to him, this shift in data-driven policing will influence future staffing and tactics, and he wants to ensure the work continues without interruption.

He also highlighted APD’s expanded approach to officer wellness, noting that the department has moved from focusing primarily on mental health to a “broader, holistic approach that covers mind, body, spirit and financial well-being.” For Johnson, this is a necessary investment: “They had to take care of the people who were taking care of the citizens.”

Johnson addressed recent scrutiny around personnel issues head-on. While he acknowledged the concerns, he argued that APD had not experienced operational failures. On the matter of transparency, he offered a balanced perspective: “The public absolutely has a right to know what their police department is doing,” he said, but added that information must be weighed against safety, privacy and legal requirements.

What sets him apart, Johnson said, is not just experience but deep-rooted connection. “This is not just a job application for me. This is my home,” he told the crowd. “I’m not interested in being a police chief. I’m interested in being the Amarillo Police Department Chief.”

Thomas Hover: Listening First, Leading With Community in Mind

Assistant Chief Thomas Hover brings more than 25 years of experience with the Irving Police Department, where he has held a wide range of assignments and currently oversees field operations and specialized bureaus. He stressed that throughout his career, one of his strengths has been building strong teams capable of taking on tough challenges. “A lot of those teams and a lot of those challenges were the same challenges that are here in Amarillo,” he said.

Unlike Johnson, Hover would be stepping into a new community if selected. Because of that, his early priority would be listening. “What I want to do is not come in with any preconceived notions or ideas. The idea is to understand and listen,” he explained. Within a few months, he believes he could develop a solid three- to five-year plan grounded in feedback from both within APD and the community.

Hover repeatedly returned to the themes of transparency, accountability, and trust. He acknowledged that rebuilding the APD’s brand—especially in light of recent public scrutiny—would be a challenge, but he sees it as an essential one. To him, leadership is more than a title: “It’s really about knowing and understanding your people,” he said, emphasizing the importance of setting officers up for success.

At the core of Hover’s policing philosophy is community engagement. “It’s about going into the public, going into the community, and meeting them where they’re at,” he said. He added that his approach can be summarized in a single word—“agape”—a love for community and a desire to help people thrive.

Hover also said he was drawn to Amarillo by the passion of its residents. “The people of the City of Amarillo is kind of on its own island, right? They’re dedicated to the city,” he said. That sense of unity and shared purpose, he believes, is increasingly rare and worth protecting.

Gregory Stevens: Returning Home to Strengthen Trust and Retention

Gregory Stevens, currently the Executive Director of TCOLE, brings a combined 37 years of military and civilian experience, including leading police departments in Lubbock and Rockport. But his ties to Amarillo run deeper: “Amarillo is my hometown. I was born and raised here,” he said. Although his dream was once to serve as an Amarillo police officer, nepotism rules prevented him from joining at the time. Now, decades later, he sees the chief position as his chance to finally serve the community where he grew up.

Stevens spoke candidly about the opportunities and challenges facing APD. Recruiting and retention topped his list of priorities, especially with Amarillo’s expected growth and competition from private-sector security jobs. “We don’t want to lose officers to those kinds of jobs,” he said, pointing to the new Fermi America campus as an example. Strengthening morale and ensuring a healthy departmental culture will be critical to keeping officers in Amarillo and bringing new ones into the force.

Community trust is another central theme for Stevens. Drawing on his experience as a public information officer, he stressed that transparency must be proactive, not reactive. “You guys should never have to ask us about something. We should be telling you when something happens,” he said. He believes accountability must be shared throughout the entire department—not just among senior leadership.

Despite being happy in his current role at TCOLE, Stevens said there is only one job that could pull him away: serving Amarillo. “The only position that I would leave there for would be to come back to my hometown, where my family still lives,” he said.

What Comes Next for Amarillo

City officials will review the public feedback collected at the event as they move toward a final decision. Deputy City Manager Andrew Freeman has indicated that the city hopes to hire its new chief by the end of the year or early January.

Regardless of which finalist is ultimately chosen, Amarillo residents had the rare benefit of hearing directly from each candidate, unfiltered and in person. All three share long careers in law enforcement, a commitment to transparency, and a desire to strengthen the relationship between APD and the community it serves. But each also brings a unique background, leadership philosophy, and vision for the future.

In a moment when national conversations about policing can often feel distant or polarized, Amarillo’s meet-and-greet offered something refreshing: a local, honest, community-centered dialogue about public safety—and the kind of leadership Amarillo wants moving forward.