“I, Carol Lee Riddle, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the duties of the office of police chief of the city of Aledo and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States and of this state so help me God,” she recited.
With this Oath of Office, the city of Aledo swore in the first police chief for the city.
The event was standing room-only with people from across north Texas coming to see the historic swearing in.
The ceremony began with remarks from Rick Burgin, Arlington Police Department’s behavioral health Chaplain. He and Riddle have known each other for 10 years — he met her through the Arlington Police Department before he worked there. He said that Aledo has chosen a leader who cares about people with all her heart.
“From our heart to your heart, congratulations for picking somebody immensely, immensely qualified to lead your department as y’all begin this journey as a new police department,” Burgin said.
Police officers from Parker County and Tarrant County were in attendance to show their support as well, with a large portion of them coming from the Arlington Police Department, where Riddle started her police career and worked for more than 21 years. During her 25 years of service she has held positions such as patrol officer, lieutenant, SWAT commander, and deputy chief.
According to Pat McColgin, Riddle’s father, it has been a long journey to this point and it started when she was five years old and said she wanted to be a police officer. Riddle’s mother, Beth McColgin, said that their daughter has always amazed them in everything she does.
“She’s always been strong willed,” Beth said. “She knew where she wanted to go, and she just kept aiming.”
Pat believes the foresight that Riddle has will be important for the new Aledo Police Department, and for the city in general.
Following the oath, Riddle’s husband Matt Riddle and son Rhys stepped up for the pinning of the badge ceremony. Matt said that during the pinning all he could think of was their son, and how much of a great mentor and role model Riddle has been to not only their family but to so many others.
“A lot of the people that are here, she’s touched their lives in so many ways,” he said. “She’s done all of that and still is able to have a beautiful home, a loving life, and that was why I wanted to have the opportunity to pin that badge on her.”
Riddle came to Aledo originally as the director for public safety in January, and according to council member Nelson Rowls he sees how much she loves people and how community-oriented she is. He said seeing the swearing in for him was priceless.
“She has a love for the real being of all mankind,” he said. “I think she’s going to do awesome things here.”
Aledo Mayor Shane Davis said that having the swearing in of the first police chief is a rush and that he knows the police department will lead with a “community first” policing strategy with Riddle at the helm.
“She’s led with courage, compassion, and she has a clear sense of right and wrong,” he said. “She’s got a steady hand, a sharp mind, and a true heart for this community.”
In Riddle’s first address as police chief she said this days marks the beginning of a new opportunity to build a department from the literal ground up that will reflect the spirit of the people it serves of Aledo and the surrounding areas.
“My commitment to you all as your chief is this: to lead with integrity, transparency, and respect,” she said. “I will work every day to earn the right to police this community and keep the trust of this community. Focusing on building strong relationships and engaging with our residents, I will ensure our department is accessible, accountable, and deeply rooted in service. This is a once in a generation opportunity, and I do not take it lightly.
She said how she is determined to embrace it all including the challenges that will come and work to build something lasting that the community can be proud of. She said how in times of struggle, she always remembers that she raised her hand and took her oath and said “I want to do this,” even in the hard times.
“When it’s easy, anybody can do it,” she said. “But when it’s hard, we ask for it. We volunteer for it, and we owe it to our people, and we owe it to our community to do it right.”
After being sworn in Riddle was presented with a flag from Congressman Roger Williams’ representative Ben Schwartzberg.
More than 20 Arlington Police Department members came to support Riddle during the ceremony including police officer Lauren Schultz. She has known Riddle for more than 8 years with Riddle, a lieutenant at the time, being on the board for her final oral examination for the force and said that Riddle is a major reason she’s where she is today.
“She has integrity, and she holds people accountable,” Schultz said. “She’s professional, and anyone who gets to work for her is incredibly lucky.”
Schultz reiterated Riddle’s “once in a generation” sentiment and said that being able to build a police force from the ground up with the best vision is an amazing opportunity. She said that not only is Riddle connected with the community, but also with officers on her team as well.
“She has so much experience,” she said. “She was the commander of our SWAT team so she has been in the thick of events. She’s called our officers after things have happened. She’s checked on us, and she knows how important the relationships of the community are but also about officer wellness.”
Schultz said that any police officers that come to Aledo better be top notch because Riddle would settle for nothing less, and that the amount of people who came out to the swearing in should show the support that Riddle has been able to get from her previous department.
“We love Carol. We support her,” she said. “Not only do we trust her, we believe in her. One of the biggest things that we can say is that we have faith.”
Along with the officers, Aledo community members also came out to the event. Raquel Brown, an Aledo resident, said that while she didn’t know Carol personally, she considers her a friend and leader. She believes that the city has chosen a qualified and sees this as a new page for the city of Aledo.
“When you have competence from the top, you have competence that flows throughout that leadership and administration,” Brown said. “So I’m looking forward to an era of competence.”
After the meeting Riddle said the crowd exceeded her expectations and was honored by the turnout of people, especially those in the community.
“To see the community come out that didn’t even know me, they wanted to meet me and shake my hand and tell me how honored they were, it was just beyond my expectations,” she said.
Riddle said she’s excited to not only get in new officers for the department, but also to build stronger relationships with the public with community events so that the people of Aledo can meet the officers on the force.
“It shows the residents we’re not just a badge, we’re not just the uniform,” she said. “When people look at us, they see a uniform and a patch and we’re all the same, but we’re not. I really want the people of Aledo to see the person behind the badge with me and my officers when they get here.”
In the meantime while the processes for setting up the dispatch system and hiring new officers in ongoing, she encourages residents to reach out to her if they have any questions or concerns.
“I’m more than happy to talk through it, point you in the right direction,” she said. “If I can’t solve the problem, if I don’t know the information, I’ll find it out for you. I’m here, I’m available, and by all means, reach out.”
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