Waco swears in first black woman police chief

(WACO, TX) Exclusive: She’s been on the job since Monday, but Waco’s first Black and first female police chief, Sheryl Victorian, was formally sworn in Friday afternoon during a ceremony at the Waco Convention Center attended by about 200 people. “I am surrounded by some extremely talented officers and supervisors and I am excited by the opportunity to be your leader,” Victorian told members of her department. “I look forward to seeing all of you in the game and not watching from the sidelines. This is not an option,” she said.

“I want to encourage all of our community partners to join the Waco PD team in our push to become a model city for public safety and police-community partnership in building trust and legitimacy in policing.”

The Waco City Council voted unanimously on Feb. 16 to confirm Victorian as city’s police chief. Victorian was among four finalists for the job selected from a field of 43 candidates from 17 states in a second search for a successor to former police Chief Ryan Holt, who was promoted in 2020 to assistant city manager. “The search for a new police chief was undertaken in quite a year, with multiple national crises going on, COVID-19 affecting the community, as well as the national conversation about the future of policing,” City Manager Bradley Ford said during Friday’s ceremony.

“I am not exaggerating when I say this was the most significant and thorough process the City of Waco has ever undertaken to recruit a person in leadership.” Victorian holds a doctorate in administration of justice from Texas Southern University, a master’s degree in criminal justice from The University of Houston and a bachelor’s degree in public affairs, also from Texas Southern University.

She started her law enforcement career as a police cadet in 1993 in Houston and rose to the rank of assistant chief. “Dr. Sheryl Victorian was described in the search process as smart, tough, sensible and collaborative, great characteristics of a police chief. I will only add one more item to that list: she has the true heart of a servant,” Ford said. Us here at IssuesMatter wise new chief Victorian much success moving forward with her new awesome position.