Council closer to adding police department

As any community grows, so does its need for strong law enforcement. 

Take the City of Aledo, for example. Over its history it has outgrown the sleepy, bedroom community aesthetic and has transformed into one of the Metroplex’s fastest-growing suburbs.

When Mayor Nick Stanley was elected, one of his staple policies was to implement a police force right here in Aledo. During the Thursday, May 2, city council meeting, Aledo took another step towards making a local police department a reality.

Resolution 2024-159 amends the agreement between the city and their public safety contractor, T2 Professional Consulting. 

Mike Wilson, retired Keller police chief, has been working with the City of Aledo for over a year on public safety models. With the passage of Resolution 2024-159, Wilson’s role working with the city will be greatly expanded. He will be responsible for everything from creating an organizational structure for the police department, applying for the city’s Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) licensing, purchasing necessary equipment, hiring the department’s inaugural police chief, and drafting operational policies for the department. 

As part of the agreement, Wilson is required to provide the city council with regular updates as necessary, to ensure the project stays on track and on budget.

Once the police chief is hired, Wilson will continue to consult for the city, using his experience and expertise as a valuable resource for the chief.

Money talk

Each year the City Council is audited by a third-party to ensure fiscal responsibility and adherence to the budget. On Thursday, Kim Knox-Lewis with BMY presented the financial audit for 2023. 

The audit came back clean with no issues to report.

Until we meet again

The city council will meet again on Thursday, May 23, for the second bi-monthly meeting. All city council meetings are open to the public. The meeting will be held at the Aledo Community Center starting at 6 p.m.