Pflugerville police report stable staffing, expand community outreach and recruiting

Pflugerville Police Chief O'Malley told the City Council at a work session in March that the department currently has 92 full‑time sworn officers, two cadets and five open officer positions, with about eight applicants in background checks.

"We are very, very particular about who we hire here," Chief O'Malley said, describing a high-application, selective hiring process that she said contributes to the department's reputation in the region.

The chief and commanders emphasized recruitment and retention as priorities. The department has a cadet pipeline that has included internal city employees — for example, a dispatcher and a lifeguard who became cadets — and is using the academy program referenced in the meeting as CAPTOG for the current cadets. Chief O'Malley said cadets who complete the academy still face roughly three months of internal training before field deployment, meaning roughly a year can pass from sponsorship to patrol assignment.

Council members asked about turnover and crime trends. Chief O'Malley said the department's turnover was approximately 8% last year and that many separations were the result of disciplinary actions rather than officers leaving for other agencies. She also said calls for service this year are roughly in line with last year but that individual calls are more complex and often require more on‑scene time and paperwork.

The department highlighted community outreach as part of retention and public engagement. Chief O'Malley credited a growing slate of programs led by the community services specialist, Carl, including a community police academy that graduated 34 participants, National Night Out attendance exceeding 3,000, Blue Santa service for about 345 children, and seasonal initiatives such as ice‑cream vouchers for children who demonstrate safety behaviors.

The overview also covered internal units — crime scene, investigations, digital forensics, dispatch and specialized teams — and described recent investments in training that the chief said help officers manage increasingly complex calls, including family violence and mental‑health crises.

Looking forward, Chief O'Malley said the department will continue recruiting and using technology tools such as license‑plate readers and cameras to augment patrol presence, while maintaining a focus on in‑community policing.

Details from the work session: the department is authorized for 101 sworn officers, said the chief; two cadets are currently in the academy program referenced in the meeting; and the department reported roughly a 2% change year‑over‑year in total calls for service.

The presentation closed with council members expressing support for continued investment in recruiting, training and community outreach.