POLICE CHIEF CRAIG GOODMAN SUBMITS RESIGNATION
Craig Goodman
The City of Brenham will have new leadership at the Police Department to begin the New Year. Police Chief Craig Goodman submitted his letter of resignation to City Manager Terry Roberts yesterday (Thursday) afternoon effective the first of the year.
Chief Goodman said that he has enjoyed serving the community of Brenham, but because of personal reasons, he has elected to resign.
Roberts aid that Chief Goodman is an honorable man and has served the best interests of our community. He wished him well in his future endeavors.
The City has tapped a retired Texas Police Chief, Rusty Pancoast, to serve as interim Chief. Roberts says they worked with Texas First Group to locate a retired Chief to fill the interim position:
Chief Pancoast has been in the law enforcement profession since the mid 1970’s including 12 years with the Lower Colorado River Authority retiring in 2008 as their Director of Public Safety. Chief Pancoast also served as Chief of Police for the City of Bee Cave near Austin for six and one-half years before retiring from that position to Kerrville in September 2014.
Chief Pancoast’s first day on the job in Brenham is January 2, 2018
Full Press Release from the City of Brenham:
The City of Brenham will have new leadership at the Police Department to begin the New Year. Police Chief Craig Goodman submitted his letter of resignation to City Manager Terry Roberts yesterday afternoon effective the first of the year.
“While I have enjoyed my service to the community of Brenham, for personal reasons, I have elected to resign,” Chief Goodman said.
Goodman has headed the Brenham Police Department since September 2015. “We are appreciative of Chief Goodman’s service to the community and the important function public safety provides,” Roberts commented.
“Chief Goodman is an honorable man who has the best of interest in serving this community at heart. We wish him well in his future endeavors,” Roberts added.
Chief Goodman was directly involved in the July 2017 successful recertification program for the Texas Best Practices program for the Brenham Police Department. Along with other public safety leaders in the community, Chief Goodman was instrumental providing a coordinated and effective public safety response to the May 2016 historic floods and August 2017 Hurricane Harvey incident.
Chief Goodman took on a leadership role in collaborating with public and private school officials to better label all entrances and exits to these facilities to improve emergency response times.
In the area of community outreach, Chief Goodman led the efforts to have a successful Officer Santa Program at Christmas time for roughly 60 families each of the last two years. He initiated a No Shave October fund raiser program for Adams Angels that raised $7,000 over the last two years.
In his letter informing the City Manager of his planned departure Chief Goodman stated, “Thank you for the opportunity to serve the citizens of Brenham, and I remain available should you need assistance during a transition period.”
The City has tapped a retired Texas Police Chief, Rusty Pancoast, to serve as interim Chief. Chief Pancoast has been in the law enforcement profession since the mid 1970’s including 12 years with the Lower Colorado River Authority retiring in 2008 as their Director of Public Safety. Chief Pancoast also served as Chief of Police for the City of Bee Cave near Austin for six and one-half years before retiring from that position to Kerrville in September 2014.
In retirement, Chief Pancoast works with the Texas First Group to provide interim chief services to cities that are between permanent chiefs. Chief Pancoast has provided interim chief services under a Texas First agreement for other Texas cities in the past. That will be the arrangement in Brenham as well.
“We are happy that Chief Pancoast was between interim assignments at this time and is available to join us so quickly,” the City Manager said.
Chief Pancoast also is involved in the Texas Best Practices program administered by the Texas Police Chief’s Association. He has served as a consultant as a Best Practices Recognition Program Coordinator and has been an assessor for them since 2012.
Chief Pancoast’s first day on the job in Brenham is January 2, 2018.
Prayers needed for the Goodmans and the city of Brenham. Love you Chief!
As things stand, Brenham has an extremely effective and proactive police department filled with men and women who truly care about people. Its apparent that this is reflective of its leadership. Im sorry to see Chief Goodman go and im sure theres going to be an impact on the police personnel as they collectively wonder about changes comming; however, at they end of the day, its the character of these police officers that is the most important component of department. Chief Goodman knows character counts and that imprint will remain…..
Sadly another example running off a very professional business minded professional.. t.. if you’re not from Brenham you don’t have a chance.. city government needs to stay out of it and let the PD DO THEIR JOB
I’m glad the city government didn’t stay out of it. EVERYONE needs oversight and needs to be held accountable. Sometimes things aren’t as nice as they look to the casual observer. Fortunately the City Council did look at hard facts presented clearly by concerned citizens, and did not shirk their duties of oversight. Just carefully read KWHI’s coverage during the past few months and you’ll see some of the reasons that City government absolutely needed to get involved in the PD’s business.
It didn’t take Rex Phelps long to see how things work here, evidently the same for Goodman. Other than hiring the police department chief, city government should maintain a policy of hands off and nose out of day to day operations. The city management needs to actually be as professional as they “think” they are. Looks like Goodman may have determined it will still be business as usual with city manager Roberts “new” replacement and is avoiding further association with this employer. Thanks given for this chief’s great service.
Thank goodness the City Council didn’t keep hands off! Hands off with no oversight and no one held accountable is a recipe for disaster. When concrete, provable facts have been publicly presented indicating serious ongoing issues, a “hands off” policy simply allows the situation to continue with the appearance of it being “blessed” by the City. Then the powerful become even more powerful, confident that they have remained unscathed and there are no consequences for their actions. Everyone should be held accountable for their actions, including the PD.
Well said! There are serious issues with some of the practices by BPD that need to be addressed. I speak from first hand experience. If this chief wasn’t getting them taken care of and resolved, then he needs to go!
What a loss for the citizens of Brenham, Mr Goodman is a outstanding Police chief and a Great Caring man, I hate to see him leave the Brenham PD.
Why is it that every time Brenham gets a good police chief they resign?!?
We will continue to lose these great men and women because the city is under payed and if your not a home name you will be ran out of town for the next A&M family member or if were lucky a Longhorn. It’s just a cycle so don’t act surprised or question why… This has been going on in Brenham before Maifest was even thought of!
Go get your money and go work for a town that supports you when your active in the community and not when your leaving!
Chief Craig Goodman was a true servant for this community. He volunteered countless hours at the animal shelter, at the schools, with Boys and Girls Club, and with so many more community groups that I could not name them all. He has trained the public and private schools on security measures to keep our most treasured blessings as safe as possible. In addition, his wife Christine Sampiere Goodman has been a true blessing for the children of this community as a public school teacher.
I pray that his leadership, his servant heart, and his expertise has helped to grow other loyal and servant leaders so that Brenham can continue to thrive as it has under his guidance.
What a great loss for the City of Brenham. A wonderful man, an incredible leader, and a true public servent. I pray his progressive leadership has helped to grow other leaders in our community and we can continue to move in the right direction.