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City manager to form multi‑agency review committee; Deputy Freddie Alviatt named interim HPD chief
Summary
Following Chief Michael Kester’s retirement, the commission authorized a city‑manager‑led review committee with regional law‑enforcement and legal stakeholders to screen applicants for a permanent Harlingen police chief; Deputy Freddie Alviatt will serve as interim chief.
After Chief Michael Kester announced his retirement, the Harlingen City Commission on Jan. 15 authorized the creation of a chief‑of‑police review committee to screen and recommend candidates. City Manager Gabriel Gonzalez will chair the committee and reach out to regional partners to identify review members, which the commission suggested could include representatives from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the district attorney’s office, state law enforcement, federal partners and civil‑rights or defense‑oriented attorneys to provide balanced perspectives.
Commissioners discussed a 3–5 month target to identify and recommend finalists and asked the city manager to present the proposed committee membership and timeline to the commission. Gonzalez announced that he would appoint Deputy Chief Freddie Alviatt as interim chief while the recruitment proceeds. Staff reported that the city had already received preliminary applicant interest and that the formal submission portal remains open.
The commission approved the approach and directed the city manager to provide the commission with a memo listing proposed committee members and the recruitment timeline. The recruitment process will include vetting and interviews by the appointed committee; final hiring authority rests with the city manager and commission approval as required by city policy.
