New police chief sworn into office at ceremony
24 Aug 2022
Felicia Frazar The Seguin Gazette
There were no shaky hands as Reagan Brady pinned the Seguin Police Department badge on his father’s chest after Jason Brady was sworn into office on Monday.
A crowd of Seguin police officers, city employees and community members gathered in the Seguin Public Library’s Community Room to watch the city’s new police chief take the oath of office.
Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen administered the oath with Brady’s wife and two children proudly watching.
“I want to thank my wife, who has supported me on every endeavor I pursue, sometimes it has caused us to pull up roots and move and she has never batted an eye,” Brady said. “She’s been a rock.”
After taking the oath, Brady said he was impressed with the turnout from the community, which shows the level of trust the department has earned over the years, one he hopes to continue to build upon.
“The trust you have in the community takes a lot of work to build and I can’t take any credit for that,” he said. “That is all on the staff and on the officers. That is a lot of hard work they’ve done and I know how easily that can be wiped away. My job is to be a guardian of that, a good steward of that trust. It is awesome and humbling that you’re putting these fine officers and the safety of your community in my hands. I’m not going to let you down.”
Seguin City Manager Steve Parker introduced the new police chief to the community prior to the badge pinning. He said the search for the department’s newest leader wasn’t easy, but he believes they found the right person for the job.
Parker said the hiring process included feedback from police department staff as well as the community, and both agreed on several key aspects.
“In a nutshell it was clear, the Seguin Police Department and the community was looking for the same person,” he said. “They wanted an empathic leader who they knew they could trust and they knew would support them during difficult times. They wanted transparency, they wanted someone who would listen to their concerns and truly value their input. But most of all, they wanted someone who would stand beside them as they continue to build on what they have created in our community. To make a long story short, I truly believe we have found that person in Chief Brady.”
Brady comes to Seguin following a three-year stint as chief of Rolling Wood. Prior to that, he worked for the Corpus Christi Police Department in a number of roles in various departments, Parker said.
“When he was with the city of Corpus Christi, I’m not sure there was a department or division of the police department that he didn’t oversee or work for over his tenure,” he said.
Brady worked in criminal investigations, public information, internal affairs, on the gang task force, emergency management and served as manager of the MetroCom dispatch center in Nueces County.
“He also possesses his master’s degree in public administration and is a graduate of the FBI national academy in the Leadership Command College,” Parker said. “When you add all of this up, I think you’ve found the perfect guy to be our next police chief.”
Parker is hopeful Brady can continue the work started by Seguin’s police officers in strengthening relations between the department and the community.
“This department has worked very hard to build a level of trust in this community,” he said. “They spend countless hours every year going above and beyond to create a level of trust with the citizens of Seguin whether it is the Cinderella Ball, Badges, Bikes and Tykes, Blue Santa or leading the charge to fill over 200 backpacks with necessary school supplies for needy children in our community. These men and women are dedicated to making a difference in their community.”
Brady said he looks forward to finding ways to continue that legacy.
“As we go forward and as this community grows and demographics change and density changes, we’re going to find ways to continue that same level of community support and service with those increased challenges,” he said.
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