Lucas council faces residents’ concerns as it moves forward on creating a city police department

Lucas City Council convened March 5 to hear extensive public comment and debate on the proposal to form a Lucas Police Department, a topic that drew dozens of residents and sustained discussion across the meeting.

Supporters on the council said the move is driven by growth and by limits to county coverage. Council members and police leadership said the city can afford a modest initial department and that the new force would provide local control and faster, dedicated response times. Chief Doug Kowalski, who has been engaged in planning, described a start-up staffing model that would include eight full-time officers (the chief, a supervisor and patrol staff), rotating shifts to provide 24/7 coverage, use of reserve officers and pursuit of grant-funded officers to fill gaps. “The budget we presented last week was $1,300,000,” Chief Kowalski said, adding that salaries and benefits would be the largest recurring cost.

Many residents said they were surprised by the timing and complained about limited public outreach and detail. “I am disappointed and dismayed… there has been no citizen involvement in it,” said Stephanie Shirts, who asked that the issue be put to a public vote or be studied more fully. Other residents questioned evolving cost estimates — speakers referenced figures the council has cited at different times ($1.1M, $1.3M and $1.5M) — and asked how the department would affect taxes and other city services.

Council members acknowledged shortcomings in prior communications and apologized for the perceived lack of outreach. Several members said the city has repeatedly discussed public safety options in earlier meetings and executive sessions (cited by leadership as appropriate for personnel-related topics), and that emergency-service gaps and foreseeable growth make a local department prudent. One councilor summarized the operational risk of relying solely on county deputies, saying the sheriff’s office could take 12–18 months to add deputies if requested.

The council did not take a final vote to create the department on March 5. Instead, members committed to more public engagement and information: staff set a town hall for April 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Lovejoy High School Auditorium and asked residents to submit questions to lucaspdinfo@lucastexas.us in advance. Councilors said they will return with more granular budget detail, staffing projections and comparative cost data in future meetings before any formal authorization or ordinance.

The March 5 discussion left two clear tracks: residents pressing for greater transparency and either a public vote or more thorough public review; and councilors and the proposed chief emphasizing operational readiness, grant pursuit and staged hiring to manage cost. The city manager and staff said they will collect outstanding questions from the meeting and publish updated materials ahead of the town hall.