Bartonville Offers Updates on police department

On Oct. 21, the Town Council authorized the hiring of two police officers. The department is pleased to welcome Police Officer Lance Pendleton.

Please welcome Officer Pendleton when you see him patrolling your neighborhood!

In its commitment to providing a safe, peaceful environment and to enhance the quality of life for Bartonville residents and visitors the Bartonville Police Department continues to seek an additional highly motivated, community-oriented police officer to join its team.

The Town of Bartonville would like to send a special “thank you” to our neighboring law enforcement agencies for assisting the Town during this transition period. Sheriff Will Travis, Constable Tim Burch and Chief Watson in Double Oak – we thank you!

Chief of Police Search

Bartonville Police Officer Bobby Dowell was appointed our interim police chief in July. Officer Dowell is well-qualified to serve in this role. He previously served as interim police chief while with the Northlake PD, he has a degree in Criminal Justice, served in the United States Marine Corps and has been in law enforcement since 2000. The Town is grateful for his continued willingness to step into this role.

In August, the Town Council voted to appoint a search committee to review applications to fill the Police Chief vacancy and bring forward recommendations to the Town Council. The Search Committee is comprised of Mayor Pro Tem Jim Langford, Councilmember Betty Medlock, Bartonville Crime Control and Prevention District Member Johnny Jones, Town Adminstrator Stacey Almond and member at-large Jim Foringer.

The Town advertised the position and received a number of applications from all across the country. The requirements for the position include a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in a related field; TCOLE Master Peace Officer Certification; successful completion of advanced leadership development program (i.e. FBI National Academy, LEMIT Command College, Senior Management Institute for Police); 10 years of progressive law enforcement with 5 years supervisory experience; and computer literacy with typical office PC and software systems. The candidate must pass a drug screen, psychological evaluation and background investigation.

The Search Committee is in the process of reviewing the applications to determine which candidates best meet the threshold requirements and will select an initial pool of candidates to interview and then forward their recommendation to the Town Council. The Town Council anticipates appointing a Chief by the end of the year.