Joseph Chacon among finalists for Taylor Texas police chief

TAYLOR, Texas — The city of Taylor announced on Tuesday the four finalists who are competing to be its next police chief, including one who previously served in the role in Austin. The city, which sits around 40 miles northeast of Austin, has been looking for a new top officer since September, when former chief Henry Fluck retired. Now Joseph Chacon, the Austin Police Department Police Chief who retired in 2023, has made the short list, alongside the current interim Taylor chief Joseph Branson, former Levelland police chief Albert Garcia and Universal City Police Chief Johnny Siemens.

Taylor officials put the finalists in front of the public late last week with two community meet-and-greet sessions where residents asked questions and share feedback.

City leaders have not said when they expect to make a final decision.

Chacon had a 25-year career with Austin police. He was appointed chief in 2021 during a turbulent period for the department following the 2020 racial justice protests, which left Austin grappling with officer shortages, ongoing criminal cases tied to crowd-control tactics and heightened community scrutiny of policing. During his tenure, the department saw hundreds of officers leave, prompting the city to bring in Texas Department of Public Safety troopers to help patrol parts of Austin.

Since retiring from Austin, Chacon has overseen emergency planning and ambulance services in Pflugerville, focusing on disaster readiness and coordination among first responders.