I would like to thank IACP Immediate Past President Wade Carpenter for his outstanding leadership over the last year—in both words and in actions, he has made all of us and our association look good. Thank you, Chief Carpenter, for your efforts and dedication on behalf of the IACP and the policing profession.

At moments like this, I think it important that we reflect on the events and individuals who have impacted our lives. In fact, Dale Hansen, a long-time sports reporter for WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas, may have best summed up this viewpoint. At the end of each broadcast, he would look to the camera and say, “For everyone who’s been a part of this one, thanks for watching.”

In that light, I must say that there has been a tremendous number of people who have been part of “this one” and to whom I owe my profound gratitude.

First and foremost, this job would have been impossible without the unflagging support and encouragement of my family. We don’t often think about what our families endure: calls in the middle of the night and seeing their loved ones leave to deal with a crisis; accepting that their parents or spouse will not get off work in time for a family function; and watching us on TV and being asked about it by their friends the next day at school. It cannot be easy. I am humbled and beyond grateful for the support they have provided me over the years.

Perhaps, like some of you, I became a police chief when I was too young and inexperienced to be a chief. Fortunately, I was surrounded by other chiefs who took me under their wing and taught me what I needed to know to help me succeed.

I owe an immense debt to former Texas chiefs Richard Carroll of the Allen Police Department, Ken Yarbrough of the Richardson Police Department, Jess Youngblood of the Garland Police Department, James McCarley of the Plano Police Department, Jimmy Fawcett of the Farmers Branch Police Department, James McLaughlin of the Addison Police Department, and many, many others. Thank you all for your guidance, patience, and leadership.

If it had not been for the counsel of these leaders and mentors, I doubt that I could have lasted in this job this long.

I am also thankful for the opportunity I had to work closely with the members of the IACP Police Investigative Operations Committee from whom I learned many things, with special thanks to the chair, Pete Modafferi. There are so many brilliant people on that committee whom I consider both teachers and close friends.

The men and women whom I worked with in McKinney, Lubbock, and West University Place have occasionally told me that they learned things from me. If I had known they were really listening, I would have been more careful in what I said. The truth is that they have no idea how much I learned from them. I gained much more from them than I could have given to them.

I am here because I have been blessed to work with so many great people.

Throughout my career, I have been constantly amazed by the dedication, compassion, self-sacrifice, and bravery of the men and women I have had the opportunity to work with. We are one of the few professions that is dedicated solely to the goal of making the lives of others better, safer, and more secure.

Policing is a noble profession because it embodies the principles of service, protection, and justice. Police officers dedicate their lives to maintaining public safety, often putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others.

Our role is crucial in upholding the rule of law, ensuring that communities remain safe and orderly. The commitment to serve and protect, regardless of the personal risks involved, highlights the selflessness and bravery inherent in the profession. Moreover, police officers are the first responders in emergencies, providing critical assistance and support to those in need. This unwavering dedication to the well-being of others underscores the nobility of policing, making it a profession that commands respect and admiration.

We have a story to tell and a story to be proud of!

However, a lesson that I, and probably all of you, have learned is that—despite the amazing work our officers perform daily—our profession is too often judged by our worst moments and not our best.

We are not perfect. We make mistakes. We sometimes fail to act when we should have.

As you know, we experienced a school tragedy in Texas where the lack of leadership caused people to die. As a result, the policing profession experienced months of press coverage, some of it deserved, that left some in the public with the impression that police officers lack the courage to respond to active shooters. This is just flat wrong.

Look at the actions of this year’s Police Officer of the Year awardees. The Nashville, Tennessee, Metro police officers; the Allen, Texas, police officer; and the Fargo, North Dakota, police officer selected for this year’s award showed the world what bravery looks like. Their actions reflected upon all of us, and it made me proud to see these well-trained and motivated officers save lives.

Sadly, these are not rare occurrences. In my city alone (West University Place, Texas), we have had three active shooter situations. In one, a man killed his wife and then ran into a church and school area where he was confronted by police officers; he was stopped at the gate leading to the school playground.

In another, a shooter wounded 10 people before being stopped. Body-worn camera footage of the incident showed West University Place Sergeant Allan Gomez and Bellaire Officer Alex Proctor exchange fire with the suspect and, while under fire, rescue a victim and carry him to get life-saving medical care.

Most recently at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, just across the freeway from our city, a shooter opened fire inside the church. Twelve different law enforcement agencies responded without being called. A West University Place officer, Kristi Fry, was told when she arrived that there was possibly a second shooter. Body-worn camera footage shows her running into the church auditorium looking for the shooter with many other officers. She found 17 people hiding and escorted them outside. She also discovered a teenager with special needs hiding in a locked room. She was able to get the scared person to open the door, reassure the person that he was safe, and evacuate him to a safe place.

The actions of these officers reflect the norm in policing—far from being hesitant to confront danger, the men and women in this profession respond to emergencies in droves.

As a police leader, I am immensely proud of the dedication and bravery displayed by police officers every day. They work tirelessly to ensure the safety and security of our communities, often putting their own lives at risk. However, it is disheartening to see that the incredible work they do frequently goes unreported. The media, particularly social media, tends to focus on negative incidents, which can create a skewed perception of policing.

Our officers engage in countless acts of kindness and heroism that rarely make headlines. From rescuing individuals in dangerous situations to providing support and comfort to those in distress, these selfless actions are the backbone of our service. Unfortunately, these positive stories are often overshadowed by the sensationalism of negative news. This imbalance not only undermines the morale of our officers but also erodes public trust in policing.

It is crucial for the media to present a more balanced view of policing. While it is important to hold officers accountable for their actions, it is equally important to recognize and celebrate their contributions to society. By highlighting the positive impact of officers, we can foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the challenges they face and the sacrifices they make. Let us work together to ensure that the narrative around policing is fair and reflective of the true spirit of service that defines our profession.

I realize that I am probably the last chief to understand the power of social media and embrace it. But I have learned that social media is a great method to tell our story—to tell the truth and provide crucial context about events to the public. TV news reports allow extraordinarily little time to fully explain events. Social media allows us to follow up after a TV interview with an in-depth description of events.

We have a remarkable story to tell, and we should tell it proudly, consistently, and frequently.

We need to remember that what we see as ordinary, the public will often view as extraordinary. This fact was highlighted for me at a recent IACP board meeting. While discussing ways to increase participation in our awards programs, one chief remarked that the problem we have is that we tend to look at the activities and accomplishments of police professionals and consider it just doing our jobs and not something that is worthy of any special recognition. I understand that viewpoint, but we owe it to our profession to highlight our successes. We have a remarkable story to tell, and we should tell it proudly, consistently, and frequently.

It is imperative that we speak on our own behalf because if we do not, others will fill the void.

And, all too often, they will fill that void with falsehoods, misinformation, and conjecture. They will use their platforms to promote their own agendas, to spur resentment and divisiveness, to stoke anger in our communities, and to attack police officers and other public safety personnel.

At times, it seems that we have a lot of critics. The media and others are quick to criticize us, and, when we fail, they continue to bring it up every chance they get. When we think that we have gotten past a bad event, some officer somewhere dishonors the badge—and we start over again. If we are not careful, we can begin to focus on the negative. We are trained to see problems so that we can address them before they become crises. Maybe we should remind ourselves that officers worldwide are doing magnificent work that all too often goes without notice.

Through my time on the IACP board, I have been fortunate to visit law enforcement agencies in several countries. Regardless of where we went, we invariably saw the impact that extremely motivated and committed officers have had on their country. In Brazil, we saw how the work of the Federal Police of Brazil in combating illegal mining is not only catching law breakers but also assisting in healing the environment. Rivers that were contaminated by mining are now clear.

In Poland, the police demonstrated how they have addressed the issues exacerbated by the surge of Ukrainians fleeing the war. The Polish people and police have welcomed the refugees and are working tirelessly to combat human trafficking attempts by criminals who are trying to take advantage of people in need.

Prior to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, we had the opportunity to meet with the French National Police to discuss the security measures that were being taken to safeguard the athletes and attendees. Given the footprint of the event, securing the Olympics was clearly a massive undertaking. But thanks to the hard work and dedication of the French National Police and their partners, the Olympics were both safe and successful.

In short, those who serve in the policing profession are a global force for good.

We are blessed to work in such an honorable profession where it is all about serving others. Very few people have this opportunity or the courage to serve.

My message to our critics is we are hiring. If you can pass a background investigation, pass a written test, pass a drug screen, pass a physical exam, pass a polygraph, pass an interview board, successfully graduate from an academy, pass a certification test, and complete a field training program, then you can show us where we can do better.

My time with the IACP has allowed me to fully appreciate how fortunate I am to be a member of such a great profession and have the opportunity to work with so many great people. If we could find a way to let potential applicants know what it is like to be a member of our team, we would have thousands of applicants wanting to join.

I have a message to the young men and women who are searching for purpose in their lives, who have a burning in their gut to make this world better. If you are a person of character, courage, and compassion, come play for our team; you’ll never regret it.

Thank you all for your support. I look forward to working with all of you in the year ahead.d

Please cite as:

Ken A. Walker, “The Year Ahead: 2024–2025,” President’s Message, Police Chief 91, no. 11 (November 2024): 6–8.