June 27 Newscast: City of Greenville names Smith new police chief

The City of Greenville has a new police chief. Christopher Smith has been named the new Greenville chief of police. Most recently, Smith served as assistant chief deputy for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.

Former Greenville police chief Scott Smith stepped down in early February. Will Cole had been acting police chief since then. Cole was one of five finalists for the permanent job, along with Quinlan ISD Police Chief Steve Walden, Heather Morris, a retired assistant police chief in Houston, Sunnyvale Police Chief Andrew Hawkes, and then-Dallas County Sheriff’s assistant chief deputy Christopher Smith.

In early June, the Herald-Banner reported that the field had been narrowed to Smith and Walden. At that same time, the Banner also reported that Cole had left the department, and that Capt. Charles Starnes was serving as interim police chief. The Banner also reported that Hawkes had filed a public records request with the city seeking details about the selection process.

Before being named the new Greenville police chief, Smith worked for the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office for 33 years. Smith is a graduate of Lamar University and the FBI National Academy.