City of Victoria

Victoria Police Department Historical Information
Police Chiefs

Elmo A. Anderson served as the first official Chief of Police until 1962, when John L. Guseman took over. He was succeeded by Robert H. Winley, who served as Police Chief until his death in 1973.

Kenneth Rosenquest became Police Chief in 1973 and served as Police Chief until his retirement in 1987. Rosenquest distinguished himself and the department by serving as President of two statewide police associations, and by providing input for the betterment of Texas law enforcement at the State level.

M.J. Talley assumed the position as Chief in 1987 and served until 1991. The Office of Chief of Police was then filled by Ronald J. Perkins from 1991 until 1993.

Chief Timothy A. Braaten served as Chief from 1993 until 2004, at which time Richard L. Jones was appointed as Chief and served until 2007.

Bruce Ure currently holds the office of Chief of Police.

Up until 1983, the Police Department conducted the Regional Police Academy. At that time, those attending the academy had to be sponsored by an agency. In 1983, the Victoria College assumed responsibility for the Regional Academy, opening it up to any interested party. The Police Department maintains its academy license, however, in order to provide training to its own officers.

Through the years, the Victoria Police Department has distinguished itself as a professional and progressive agency. The Department has placed emphasis on education and training of its personnel and has set high expectations of itself in the area of community service. This is exemplified through the examples set out below.

In 1968, the Victoria Police Academy was the first police academy in the state to receive certification from the Texas Commission of Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Education. While the Victoria College currently offers basic police training at the recruit level, the Department's Academy continues to function in the area of providing training to departmental officers on a regular basis.
In 1968, Victoria Police Officer John F. Baylor became the first Certified Peace Officer in Texas. John has since retired from the police department.
In 1968, the department also brought about a major experiment in the organization of police departments. Victoria was one of the first departments across the nation to adopt business management titles for its officers. The Police Chief assumed the title of Director of Public Safety. The concept was to take law enforcement away from a paramilitary image and towards an image of professionalism. (Traditional police titles were later re-instated).
At about the same time, women were commissioned as police officers in the department, playing vital roles in the organization. The first woman detective was appointed in 1985, the first female sergeant was appointed in 1988, and the first female lieutenant was appointed in 1998.
Victoria also employed the first civilian to be licensed as a TCLEOSE (Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education) instructor.
The emphasis on education and training is also seen by looking at the officers who have received specialized training at the DPS Law Enforcement Academy in Austin. The department also has numerous officers who have graduated from prestigious programs, such as the FBI National Academy, the Northwestern Traffic Institute, the Police Training School conducted by the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs, and the Law Enforcement Management Institute conducted by TCLEOSE.
Victoria was one of the first cities in the nation (the second in Texas) to implement the 911 emergency system, which is now a standard system across the country.
In 1989, the Victoria Police Department became the 7th Texas Department (95th in the nation) to become a nationally accredited law enforcement agency.