Chief of Police plans for change
June 1 may mark the beginning of summer, but to Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s (TAMUK) new Chief of Police Julian Cavazos Jr., this date marks a milestone.
As his final oaths were spoken and his right hand came down, Cavazos was officially sworn in by Interim President James Hallmark after working with the department a month prior to June 1.
Before Chief Cavazos was brought on, Interim Lieutenant and Patrol Sergeant Gabriel Gonzalez served as Interim Chief of Police.
During his two-month period as interim Chief of Police, UPD sent out timely warning notifications, hired more staff and provided physical safety and security for peaceful protesters on campus this past spring semester, officials said.
Gonzalez worked with Cavazos at the Kingsville Police Department (KPD) for almost 15 years before reuniting in their new and different environment on campus.
“We actually got sworn in the same day – he was promoted to commander- so I worked under him for at least six years when I was a detective,” Gonzalez said.
Cavazos graduated high school from H.M King in 1981 and immediately joined the Marine Corps until 1984.
He has worked as a security guard, office manager, and various other positions. Cavazos applied for the police department in 1985 and was picked up in 1986. He served at KPD for 36 years. During that time, he came back to school and obtained two bachelor’s degrees.
He then pursued a master’s degree in criminal justice and administration from Norwich University in Vermont.
“Working with KPD I got to learn a lot and lead a lot of people,” Cavazos said.
As a police officer, Cavazos covered mostly every department, such as the S.W.A.T team, bike patrol, writing grants, participating in community events and doing as much as he could to stay busy.
“What stood out to me during the selection process was his number of years of service in policing, his familiarity with not only the City of Kingsville, but TAMUK as well, and his commitment to excellence,” Chief Compliance Officer Joe Henderson said.
Cavazos stated that the hiring process was lengthy. After Cavazos applied for the position, an interview via Zoom was conducted, followed by an in-person interview. After proving he was a qualified candidate he was chosen as the main finalist.
Once selected as the new Chief of Police, an in-depth background investigation was conducted, which included speaking to multiple references.
The UPD staff expressed how they felt about their experience so far working with Cavazos.
“In the short time he has been here, Chief Cavazos has been a pleasure to work with. I see him as a person who is transparent, honest, of great integrity, and has a ‘down to earth’ demeanor,” Henderson said.
The UPD staff also expressed the impact Cavazos made with them prior to taking on his new position.
Gonzalez mentioned how Chief Cavazos was one of his motivations to finishing school while working at KPD. He saw his peers pursuing degrees while they were still in work uniforms and it pushed him to do the same.
“When I used to work with Chief Cavazos he had a boss, but now he’s the one who gets to make those decisions and he deserves it. It’s his time to share the knowledge and wisdom he’s gained over the years and pass it down to us so that maybe later on we’ll be in that position. It feels amazing getting to work with him,” Gonzalez said.
As Chief of Police, some of Cavazos’ goals include building a good rapport with students and staff, ensuring that students safety concerns are met and getting everyone on campus to understand that everyone has to help each other out as a community.
“One of my goals is to try to be a little more interactive with things that are ongoing on campus. My boss agrees that we need to be aware of what’s going on around campus each and every time,” Cavazos said.
Cavazos says the primary goal of UPD is to protect Javelina Nation. He wants students to feel safe in their four years on campus and graduate.
In taking the position as Chief of Police he states his gratefulness and readiness for the job.
“I’ve always set goals for myself to accomplish and my last one was to be chief of police. This opportunity helped me achieve that,” Cavazos said.
June 1 will forever reign in significance and importance to Cavazos as he picks up the pen from his new desk and checks off the final goal on his career to-do list.