Magnolia City Council appoints Lt. Kyle Montgomery to police chief

After more than 30 minutes in closed executive session, Magnolia City Council members appointed former Lt. Kyle Montgomery as the new police chief for the Magnolia Police Department at the Dec. 10 council meeting. This decision comes after former MPD Chief Terry Enloe—who served as chief for just over four years—retired Oct. 15, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported.

"Kyle [Montgomery] has been second in command for some time. ... [He] came highly recommended by [Enloe] to be his successor," Magnolia Mayor Todd Kana said in an email. "I feel confident he has the tools and personality to run this department and we are happy to be able to promote from within."

Montgomery has been in law enforcement for 15 years and began working at the MPD in 2007, Community Impact Newspaper previously reported. He was promoted to sergeant in 2012 and lieutenant in 2016, followed by an appointment to interim police chief after Enloe's retirement.

"[I am] definitely looking forward to helping lead through the future growth and changes we'll have. It's a great blessing to have this group of officers and staff to make my job easier and no chief could have a better council to work for," Montgomery said in an email.

Montgomery said in the email that he does not anticipate any major changes within the department at this time, as Enloe helped develop a strategic plan to get the MPD ready for the expected future growth. However, he said he plans on having the department be more involved in the community.

"[We plan on] helping our citizens see the heart behind our badge. As our commercial and residential development increases, we're going to need an open line of communication with the community, so that we can stay aware of issues and concerns they have," he said in the email. "This will be key in keeping the crime rate low and providing a high quality of life for the citizens."