Missouri City names Brandon Harris new police chiefBrandon Harris has spent nearly 30 years with the agency, holding every rank in the department, including most recently interim police chief.Missouri City has named a new police chief. Brandon Harris, who was appointed interim police chief in May, was named as the city's full-time chief earlier this month.
Harris has worked for the police department for nearly three decades, starting as reserve officer in 1995. Since then, he's held every rank in the department.Harris and a friend initially wanted to become firefighters, so they drove around looking for a fire station where they could learn more about the process. The first station they found happened to be in Missouri City.At the time, the city's firefighters and police officers were cross-trained so they could hold both roles.After a police ride-along, Harris said he decided he wanted to become a law enforcement officer instead." I finished the fire academy. Soon as that was done, I went to the police academy, finished that, and that's how I came to Missouri City," he said.Harris said some of his top priorities as police chief are expanding the city's camera system, filling vacancies in the agency and supporting officers' mental health.
"Mental health for officers is a big concern," he said. "Nationwide, suicides are up. So we've developed, we've really taken leaps and bounds toward mental health."Harris said the department has focused on community policing as long as he's been there - a perspective he said will continue to inform his time as police chief."A supportive community is vital for a police department's success," he said. "We've had such a good relationship with our community and we want to continue to build that."www.houstonpublicmed ia.org/articles/news /fort-bend/2024/01/3 0/475914/missou