Johnson settles into role as BPD Chief

Johnson settles into role as BPD Chief News Staff Tue, 05/07/2024 - 3:52 pm   Breckenridge Police Chief Blake Johnson met members of the community during an open house Monday, April 29 at the Breckenridge Chamber of Commerce. Johnson was hired to replace Bacel Cantrell who turned in his resignation last year. Photo/Mike Williams By Mike Williams news@breckenridgeamerican.com Newly hired Breckenridge Police Chief Blake Johnson has taken his role atop the Breckenridge Police Department. After officially beginning his role late last month, the city introduced Johnson to the community with an open house last week. Johnson replace former chief Bacel Cantrell, who resigned in December last year. He said one thing that stood out about the city of Breckenridge and BPD is they were looking to hire someone from the outside who could bring in new ideas to the department. “This is one of the few places that were looking for outside direction and that was definitely my strength,” he said. “The thing that works is that this is a small town. I really like small towns because of the pace and the community. Coming from a bigger community, I really enjoy (it).” From Johnson’s first day on the job, he has had to hit the ground running with a car crash resulting in the death of a girlfriend of one of his officers. He said the community support following the crash and from within the department has made an impression on him. There are challenges that Johnson has started to work on that are not unique to Breckenridge, such as staffing shortages. He said these challenges are expected and it’s something he plans to work on as he starts this stage of his career in Breckenridge. “We’ve got some exceptional people that are performing tasks, whatever they need. I’ve really come to see how (great) the people (here) are at doing what they do,” he said. “The challenge is certainly we’re working as a small community in a small market so we’re having to find ways to create funding and find ways to work within the constraints of what we have. That’s been one of the biggest challenges.” The chief said his biggest push will be reducing turnover and filling empty positions. One way he plans to do that is through education and “homegrown talent.” He has one officer in the police academy and another prepared to attend. A balance of youth and experience is what Johnson is looking to create within the department to address turnover and attrition. “We need the young guys to come out here and energize the older guys,” he said. “But we need the older guys with the knowledge and experience. Getting that balance is the big thing I’m looking for.” Johnson comes to Breckenridge along with his wife of 31 years, Monica. They have two children, 26-year-old Caleb and 23-year-old Hannah, who both work and reside in San Antonio. He credits Monica for much of the success in his career by keeping things running at home while he serves the community. Johnson’s career spans 30 years with time spent at the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Leon Valley Police Department and Meridian Police Department. He has also worked as a dispatcher for the city of Alamo Heights and as a constable in Bexar County. Most recently, he served as the chief of police at MPD, where he served for nearly two years. His career in law enforcement comes from a heart of service. Johnson believes in helping people and looking out for those who could be exploited. The chief said the most important thing in law enforcement is taking care of those who can not take care of themselves. Less than a month as BPD chief, Johnson said the community has made a big impression on him and looks forward to using that support to help build a stronger bond. “There’s so many good people (here) and there’s so many people willing to lend a helping hand and partner with law enforcement,” he said. “That’s one thing I’m really looking forward to is building that partnership with the police department with the community. It sounds like the community is really ready for that.” News Log in to post comments