Denton Police Department

City of Denton Selects New Chief of Police

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NBC 5 News

Denton is looking to Colorado for the next police chief.

Doug Shoemaker, Chief of Police in Grand Junction, Colorado, will be the next chief of the Denton Police Department, a press release announced Wednesday.

Shoemaker has been with the City of Grand Junction since 2018 and previously spent 26 years with the Jefferson City Police Department in Missouri. During his tenure in Missouri, Shoemaker was involved in outreach efforts during major incidents like the mass shooting at a manufacturing plant and a racial justice march that addressed the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson.

Shoemaker was selected after a nationwide search that consisted of 35 applicants. The selection process included four interview panels with members of the community in Denton. He will assume leadership of the department from current Chief Frank Dixon. Dixon was previously promoted to the position of Assistant City Manager/Director of Public Safety in March.

Shoemaker holds a Master of Science degree in criminal justice from the University of Central Missouri and a Doctor of Education degree in organizational leadership from Wilmington University in Delaware.

Chosen by City Manager Sara Hensley, he is scheduled to be sworn in on Oct. 3 pending council confirmation.

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