City hires interim Police Chief
After its last police chief left without notice amidst controversy, the city of Sanger announced a new interim chief, a longtime law enforcement officer from Fort Worth, during its City Council meeting Monday.
Tyson Cheek, of Millsap in Parker County, served his first day as the Sanger Police Department’s interim chief on Monday. Cheek was present at the council meeting and spoke with the Denton Record-Chronicle about his plans for his tenure.
Cheek’s announcement follows the sudden departure of former Chief Waylan Rhodes on May 12 and the indictment of a former Sanger officer on charges related to excessive use of force. That former officer also made allegations against the chief for sexual misconduct, which Rhodes stated the allegations were not true.
While he said he was “just an interim,” Cheek said he is aware of recent events at the Police Department and feels hopeful about what he can accomplish while he acts as interim.
Given the former officer’s indictment and the other allegations, Cheek told the Record-Chronicle he intends to read personnel files to see if there are any causes for concern among current staff.
Cheek said he’s already had conversations with officers about the history of the department, their concerns and what the future of the department could look like.
Cheek was recommended to city staff as a candidate for interim chief by a mutual connection, he said.
With almost 32 years of experience in law enforcement, Cheek has held several different ranks. Since 2013, he served as a captain in Fort Worth with noted skills in community policing, investigations, training and crime prevention, among others, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Cheek holds a bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University in criminal justice and political science.
City Manager John Noblitt said the city is very excited to have Cheek help assess where the Police Department is at and where it’s headed.
Noblitt said that Cheek will be sworn in Tuesday but his ceremonial swearing-in will be scheduled for a future City Council meeting agenda.