The City of Bonham, Texas is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrew Hawkes as the new Chief of Police. Chief Hawkes is currently the Chief of Police for the town of Sunnyvale, Texas. Prior to Sunnyvale, Chief Hawkes was the Chief of Police for the city of Jacksonville, Texas, with a population of 13,000.
The city of Bonham received more than 25 resumes during the search process. Working with a consultant, the city organized a search and screening committee comprised of both members of the community and professionals from the region. The screening committee conducted interviews of 10 applicants and narrowed the list to 4 candidates recommended for city administration to interview.
Prior to beginning his career as a Chief of Police, Hawkes spent 15 years at the Collin County Sheriff’s Department working his way up to Lieutenant.
Chief Hawkes was tasked with starting the first Police Department for the city of Sunnyvale – a rapidly growing community that borders the cities of Mesquite, Garland, and Forney. The city had previously contracted with the Dallas County Sheriff’s office for law enforcement.
Chief Hawkes holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Dallas Baptist University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas. Chief Hawkes holds both a Master Peace Officer License as well as a Certified Public Manager Certification.
“We had four very qualified candidates that both myself and my administrative team interviewed. We invited the top 2 selections back for follow up interviews,” stated City Manager Sean Pate.
Pate said appointing a leader for the police department is one of the most important decisions the city can make.
“We know that Chief Hawkes is the right person for this particular job,” Mr. Pate remarked. “He understands our current community needs and he understands the challenges that a growing community experiences as it relates to law enforcement. Chief Hawkes is a proponent of both community involvement and community policing, and he strives for best practices recognition as defined by the Texas Police Chiefs Association.
“We are confident he will build upon the foundation that Chief Bankston so loyally dedicated his career to.”
Source: City of Bonham
