Pflugerville appoints James Richards as new police chief

Born and raised in Central Texas, Richards said he’s eager to serve a growing community close to home and apply his decades of experience to strengthen the department.

“Not to say that I've got it all, but I think together, we can put our heads together and come up with a really great process,” Richards said. “There's a great team here,”

Meeting highlights

During his remarks to City Council, Richards said his top priorities include a 90-day observation period to assess the department’s structure, policies and community interactions.

“I want to work through the organization, find out where we are structurally when it comes to response to resistance or aggression, what our policies look like and how we do business and how we treat people,” he said.

He also plans to review how the department handles and stores evidence, to ensure they meet best practices.

Finally, Richards said he intends to collaborate with staff to develop a one-, two- and five-year plan “to identify the primary focus and how we then go out and serve the public ... working those things together as a team and not as an individual.”

The background

Richards' appointment follows the retirement of former Pflugerville Police Chief Jason O'Malley, who stepped down during an investigation into misconduct allegations in May.

The report said investigators found evidence that O'Malley brandished a firearm and threatened a lieutenant inside of a police office while other officers were present.

According to the report, employees feared retaliation if they reported misconduct.