ROLLINGWOOD’S POLICE CHIEF MAX WESTBROOK TO STEP DOWN
Rollingwood Police Chief Max Westbrook will step down Sunday after serving in the capacity of chief for nearly a year.
Westbrook served as interim police chief for about eight months before being named the official police chief. He took over the position after longtime police Chief Dayne Pryor, who served with the city for about 16 years, retired in October.
Mayor Roxanne McKee said the plan is to appoint Assistant Police Chief Kristal Pompa, who has worked as a police officer with the city for 12 years, as the interim chief until the city can hire a full-time chief.
The City Council entered into a contract with Westbrook and his company, Max Westbrook Consulting Corp., where he served as a consultant to the city as its interim police chief. The former Austin police officer works with Texas municipalities to help police departments get their policies and procedures up to date. The company serves as the interim police chief while the city searched for a new chief.
Westbrook was designated as the official chief in June, on a parttime basis.
“I never intended to stay there,” Westbrook said. “My company does interim work and gets things in order and helps them find a police chief.”
Westbrook said he began his career in law enforcement as a Rollingwood reserve officer in 1983 before being hired by the Austin Police Department in 1985, where he remained until his retirement from the force in 2009 as a lieutenant. He said he started his consulting business in 2011, and the company has been responsible for interim police chiefs in the Texas cities of Del Rio, Hueco and Eagle Pass.
“Thank you again for all your support and encouragement,” Westbrook stated in his letter to the city. “I started my career in law enforcement here in Rollingwood in 1983. I’m ending it here in 2018. It’s been a good run.”
McKee said she was not sure how the city will proceed with the hiring of a new chief, but that is something the council will decide.
“I am more than confident in Kristal’s ability to serve in the capacity as police chief, if that is what she would like to do,” Westbrook said. “She’s good people, and she deserves a shot at it.”