Colleyville police chief leaves law enforcement for new job

During Michael Holder’s six years as Colleyville’s police chief, the city was recognized as one of the safest cities in Texas and crime decreased by 52 percent.

He is leaving law enforcement to become assistant city manager in Kaufman, a small city southeast of Dallas. His last day is Nov. 30.

“I really feel like the six years I spent in Colleyville is a real blessing and a great ending to my law enforcement career,” Holder said.

Holder, 52, attributes his success to a supportive community and to residents who generously volunteered to be citizens on patrol.

He worked to recruit volunteers to the Citizens Police Academy, and now there are more volunteers than police officers. Colleyville has 43 officers and 50 volunteers, Holder said.

Holder also is the city’s public safety director and oversees the police and fire departments.

His law enforcement career began 29 years ago when he became a police officer in Dallas until he retired in 2008, and then served as Kaufman’s police chief before he came to Colleyville in 2011.

City officials will conduct a national search for a new police chief. Holder leaves this position with a salary of $150,188.

“Chief Holder was instrumental in modernizing every aspect of the Colleyville Police Department and introducing community policing, which strengthened the relationships between the citizens and police,” Mayor Richard Newton said.

This story was originally published November 24, 2017 at 12:20 PM with the headline "Colleyville police chief leaves law enforcement for new job."