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Director outlines plan, budget and timeline to establish a Lucas Police Department

Lucas City Council · February 5, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Director of Public Safety Doug Kowalski told the Lucas City Council he expects to stand up a city-operated police department with an initial eight-officer model and a FY2025–26 budget in the $1.3M–$1.5M range, registering the agency with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement and pursuing accreditation and local control.

Director of Public Safety Doug Kowalski presented the council with a phased plan to create a city-operated Lucas Police Department, saying the move would provide ‘Lucas‑centric’ community policing, local accountability and operational flexibility. Kowalski said the city would register the new agency with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCO), appoint a licensed chief and training coordinator, and adopt model policies drawn from Texas Police Chiefs Association templates.

Kowalski said the initial staffing model would be eight commissioned officers — four patrol officers, two sergeants, an assistant chief and the chief — with lateral hires (already TCO‑licensed) used to avoid…

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