Trophy Club, TX (November 2020) – With Trophy Club being a smaller community, the Trophy Club Police Department wanted to be deliberate in filling their open position. They wanted to search and find the “right” fit for the team, not just a “right now” officer.
The Department went beyond the traditional recruiting, which is typically in the DFW region. The goal in their search was to find a candidate who would bring tenured experienced knowledge and leadership to the team.
Hiring police officers is much harder than it used to be. To stay competitive, some Cities are offering generous pay increases and bonuses. Law enforcement officials across the country say they’re struggling to fill vacancies, largely due to retirements and moves to the private sector.
A national survey by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence found last year that governments are having more trouble hiring police than any other category of personnel. Cities are scrambling to attract and retain talent, often by boosting compensation packages or ramping up recruitment.
With many candidates interviewed, Officer Guevara was selected. Chief Arata feels he will be an “outstanding addition to the TCPD team”. Police Officer Edler O. Guevara has joined the Trophy Club Police Department as of November 1, 2020, following nearly 26 years of law enforcement experience in cities such as El Paso, Anthony, Socorro, and Albuquerque.
Officer Guevara started his career with the El Paso County Constable’s Office. He was responsible for conducting patrols, responding to calls for service, investigating complaints, and documenting investigative results and activities.
Following his time in El Paso Officer Guevara proceeded to both Anthony and Socorro Police Departments before working for the City of Albuquerque New Mexico. Elder started as a Patrol Officer there and worked his way to Detective where he received several commendations for his work.
Officer Guevara is one of four officers shot in the line of duty while working for the Albuquerque Police Department. What should have been a routine traffic stop in March 2002 turned out to be anything but routine. Fortunately, Officer Guevara recovered from his injury with no long term damage.
“The TCPD is honored to have an experienced qualified officer join our department. The TCPD team keeps getting better every day,” Chief Arata said.
Officer Guevara has strong leadership and management abilities which are reflected in his personal accomplishments and commendations along with those achieved by personnel and programs in his command. Officer Guevara’s skills will be welcome in TC, but it will also be a match in what he was looking for in a department. Officer Guevara was looking for a department where community policing is a priority and the department has the support of the community in these turbulent times.
“I am extremely pleased that Mayor and Council not only endorsed this approach but supported it 100%, even if the pay is 10-15% more than a new recruit,” Town Manager Steve Norwood said. “By implementing the approach of hiring a more experienced officer, the Police Department will eliminate the costs of sending cadets through the Police Academy as well as extra time needed in the field.”
In these times, where finding exceptional officers is harder and harder, Trophy Club has proactively sought out and added a valuable team member. Officer Guevara will help raise the professional bar amongst our officers and take the department to another level.
If you have any questions, please contact the Trophy Club Police Department (682) 237-2960.
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