Woodway looks within to recruit new public safety chief

Waco Tribune-Herald
Christopher De Los Santos
May 8, 2023

Woodway’s public safety chief will retire in October, and the city manager is looking to promote from within to fill his shoes.

Chief Bret Crook is planning to retire after 27 years in the Woodway Department of Public Safety, including five in the top spot.

He and City Manager Shawn Oubre believe there are a few officers in the department qualified to be promoted to chief.

Oubre said the city could conduct a regional search, but with qualified candidates already in the organization, he prefers to consider internal candidates.

“I want to do for one of our officers, what another city manager and a police chief did for me years ago,” Oubre said. “I want to promote from within.”

He also noted the unusual nature of Woodway’s public safety organization, which responds to fire, police and ambulance calls.

All officers are both licensed peace officers and licensed firefighters, Assistant Chief Khalil El-Halabi noted.

“It’s tough to find a police captain, commander or assistant chief qualified to be a chief who is also willing to go through a fire academy and become a licensed firefighter,” Oubre said of the possibility of searching outside.

Crook, 52, said a combination of life circumstances convinced him it was time to retire.

His wife, Jennifer Crook, is about to retire as assistant superintendent at China Spring Independent School District, “and she’s ready to move to our place in Florida and live there full time,” Crook said.

He also noted that two of his prior sports injuries from his time playing football for Baylor University in the 1990s have recently been reinjured or reaggravated. The combination of his wife’s readiness to retire and relocate and going through recovery from the injuries again convinced him that October would be a good time to retire.

“I got the opportunity to do everything I wanted to,” Crook said of his career.

He said he particularly enjoyed investigative work and felt glad to have started a police dog unit in the department and been the commander of the SWAT unit. Crook said the department is organized with three-main formations under him. There is a captain of patrol, a captain of investigations and a fire marshal who has responsibility for firefighting as well as rescue and ambulance response.

“Working in patrol was one of my favorites,” Crook said.

In recent months he has become affiliated with a DNA and genealogy investigating organization, and he said he may continue to do investigative work with that group after he relocates to Florida.

“There’s more left to do than just enjoy time in nature and time with my wife,” Crook said.

Oubre appreciates Crook giving him longer than six months’ notice of his intent to retire. This will allow for plenty of time to train and hand over responsibilities, he said.

“That will give us plenty of time to find the next chief and also have overlap time for the new chief and retiring chief to work alongside each other and ensure a smooth transition,” Oubre said.