First female interim police chief named
By unanimous decision, with Mayor-elect Michael Dyson absent, the Rollingwood City Council on Sept. 12 approved Assistant Police Chief Kristal Pompa to the office of interim police chief. She assumed her new position Sunday.
Former City Council Member Max Westbrook began serving as Rollingwood’s police chief June 23 after taking office as interim chief following the retirement of Dayne Pryor in October. Pompa was appointed assistant police chief with Westbrook, effective June 23.
Westbrook announced the week of Sept. 3 that he was stepping down effective Sunday.
Pompa, a 13-year law enforcement veteran, spent the past 12 years employed full-time by the Rollingwood Police Department and will be the city’s first woman to occupy its police chief office.
Pompa said she became interested in a law enforcement career after she worked as a civilian with the Round Rock Police Department. Both Pompa and her sister attended the city of Austin’s police academy together, with her sister serving with the Round Rock Police Department for more than 20 years as a civilian, she said.
“I’m glad I’m here but (being Rollingwood’s first female interim police chief ) is actually not what I set out to become,” Pompa said. “I just kind of rose through the ranks and it’s been a great ride. There’s not very many of us here in the area — female law enforcement — so we’ve become close.”
She said she believes she is a role model for “up and coming” female officers as well as supportive to male officers.
Rollingwood Mayor Roxanne McKee noted the city’s appointment of Pompa as its first female chief of police coincided with National Police Woman Day, observed annually Sept. 12.
“(Assistant Chief of Police Kristal Pompa) came highly recommended by our outgoing Police Chief Max Westbrook,” McKee said. “We look forward to continuing to work with Interim Chief Pompa and are happy to have her on board.”
The council agreed to post a job listing for the position of Rollingwood police chief Feb. 1, which will give city staff time to hire a consulting service to assist with the selection process and draft a job description.
This rate would cost a Rollingwood homeowner with an average taxable value of $1,210,550 and a homestead exemption about $2,485.86 in taxes for 2018-19, an additional $198.12 over the amount the homeowner paid in taxes for 2017-18, she said.