Residents in the city of Katy have a new leader for law enforcement.

Katy City Council appointed Jose Noe Diaz Jr. as the city’s new police chief in an unanimous vote March 11. He is the city's fourth police chief.

“This City Council strongly valued a candidate with deep ties to the community and that shares the existing commitment to community policing—not heavy-handed enforcement, not New York SWAT team tactics but partnering with the community,” Council Member Frank Carroll said. “… [In Diaz] I saw someone who truly shares our values.”

Other council members echoed similar sentiments, stating Diaz is a longtime Katy resident, understands the city’s small-town culture, leads in a compassionate manner and has numerous recommendations from the officers in the department, former Police Chief Bill Hastings and Mayor Chuck Brawner.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Diaz has spent the past 23 years working for the Texas Department of Public Safety, most recently as a Texas Ranger for 11 years. He also has experience as a deputy constable for Harris County Precinct 5 and as a correctional officer at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

He was selected from among 76 candidates and five finalists, Carroll said. Diaz said he was honored and humbled on his appointment.

“I live here, and I worship here,” Diaz said. “Everyone is a great partner in the city.”

One of his main priorities, he said, was officer retention. He said as the city grows, law enforcement will, too. He wants to keep current officers in the city of Katy while also attracting new ones with the same family-friendly values that its residents embody.

Diaz replaces Tyler, who has been serving as Katy’s interim police chief since Jan. 14. Former Chief Hastings stepped down to run for mayor in the May 4 election.

Council was expected to vote for the new police chief at the Feb. 25 meeting. However, a motion to table the vote failed and so the item was tagged for the March 11 meeting.

The next Katy City Council meeting is expected to be held at 6 p.m. March 25 at Katy City Hall, 910 Ave. C, Katy.