About Us

Between 1846 and 1909, Law Enforcement for the City of Tyler was primarily provided by Federal Marshals. In 1909, the City hired its first police officer. That officer became Tyler’s first Chief of Police, J.J. Ray, in 1916. To date, the City of Tyler has had only 10 Police Chiefs.

The Tyler Police Department is authorized to have 204 sworn personnel and 51 non-sworn personnel.

In 1995, the Tyler Police Department became fully accredited. Of approximately 18,000 police departments nationwide, about 450 have become accredited. Of that number, Tyler is one of only 27 agencies in the State of Texas to have achieved this level of police professionalism. Accreditation provides objective evidence of an agency’s commitment to excellence in leadership, resource management, and service delivery. It also embodies the precepts of community-oriented policing.

There is extensive community involvement, including Neighborhood Crimewatches, Citizen Police Academies, Cultural Awareness Training, District Community Meetings, and school programs. In addition, we have an Explorer Program in conjunction with the Boy Scouts of America, and formed our own Police Academy in association with Tyler Junior College.