Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 1 p.m., the Whitesboro Police Department (WPD) held a swearing-in ceremony for the department’s newest police officer, Kantrelle Lyles.
After a vacancy was left from an officer’s resignation in July, Police Chief Alex Coss posted the job opening and accepted applications. A group of finalists came in for additional interviews and a panel of officers, civilians and the chief unanimously chose Officer Lyles for the position.
“He stood out from all the applicants,” Coss said.
After successfully completing a background, psychological and drug test, Lyles was offered the job and he happily accepted.
“It’s not very often a small town like Whitesboro will bring in a new officer,” Coss said. “We have a low turn-over – once people are here, they typically stay. It’s quite an event to bring someone new into our family. Officer Lyles has been on the job for two days and is already getting good reviews.”
Currently living in Anna with his wife and children, Lyles knew he wanted to become a police officer from the age of 14. He joined the local Police Explorers, a vocational education program that allows youth to explore a career in law enforcement by working with local law enforcement agencies.
Lyles participated in ride-alongs and learned from police officers about what the job entails.
“I knew immediately this was what I wanted to do with my life,” Lyles said.
As a Police Explorer, Lyles competed at state and national tournaments. His team won prizes at the state level every year, and they earned Top 10 in Crisis Negotiations at the national level.
Lyles held regular jobs until he was old enough to apply for a real police officer job. He was first hired at Sachse.
“Sachse was really good to me,” Lyles said. “But it was really slow. I had more ambition and was looking to gain more experience.”
Lyles then took a job with the Richardson Police Department, but that also wasn’t quite what he was expecting. He branched out to Gun Barrel City, where he helped create Coffee with Cops, a community outreach program that helped bridge the gap between civilians and police officers.
Eventually, Lyles learned about the position available at Whitesboro and submitted an application.
“After meeting with the chief and seeing the department’s morale and demeanor, it just felt right,” Lyles said. “I feel really good about Whitesboro. It’s also exciting to know that I’m the city’s first-ever African-American police officer. It feels good to make history.”
Whitesboro had everything Lyles was looking for – a small-town feel with big-city opportunities.
“There’s room to grow here. Whitesboro is located between two cities that are growing, and I feel it’s going to provide a lot of opportunities,” Lyles said. “I look forward to serving the citizens of Whitesboro and giving my all.”
With the hire of Lyles, the WPD now has nine officers, a night watchman, six dispatchers, an administrative assistant and the police chief.
