McKinney, Texas (Oct. 16, 2012) – McKinney City Manager Jason Gray says he will assess the need for a nationwide search for a police chief after former deputy city manager Joe Williams has had a full opportunity to make necessary changes in the department. Gray said Williams will be given the time and authority needed to make the changes and provided no specific time line for his decision.

"The decision to replace a long-serving and well respected chief of police is not something that I take lightly," said Gray. "It was not due to a specific incident but rather to my evaluation, over a one and a half year period, of how the department was operating and how those operations could be improved for the benefit of our citizens."

According to Gray, his concerns centered on several important issues including communications difficulties between the department and city manager’s office on important issues, lack of consistency and accountability in disciplinary procedures, and serious issues with supervision.

"My decision to ask Joe Williams to step into the role of chief is based on the need to begin immediately working directly with leadership of the department to implement changes necessary to avoid problems in the future and allow the department to better serve our community."

"I believe these issues are serious enough that it would be wrong to leave the department without a chief during the period it would take to conduct a thorough national search. I have great respect for Chief Williams’ philosophy of policing a community and believe that it is well aligned with the culture of McKinney. Chief Williams is a servant leader, and I know that he will use his approximately 20 years of law enforcement experience to continue to serve this community with the utmost of integrity and to the benefit of our citizens. Chief Williams has shown himself to be a highly skilled, fair and consistent leader over a long career in both law enforcement and as deputy city manager."

"Clearly it would have been easier and less controversial to simply leave things as they were, but that would not be fulfilling my responsibilities as city manager," said Gray. "I will continue to keep the City Council fully informed as this process moves forward."

"Our citizens can rest assured that the hundreds of professionals in our police department remain dedicated to serving and protecting our community at the highest level."

I want people to understand that Joe Williams has the full authority and will have the time in office to lead the changes necessary in the department. This is a specific assignment for Chief Williams, and an interim title makes that more difficult. There is no specific schedule or time line for replacing Joe Williams as Chief. It will depend on how long this specific assignment takes and how we are able to facilitate the changes in culture.

There are fundamental changes that require a different management and policing philosophy than the one I have been observing. I am responsible to provide the best results and the most effective public safety possible for this community, and I believe that these changes continually move us in that direction.

I do not want to undermine Chief William’s authority by making it appear he is an interim appointment.

He will be given the time needed to make changes in the department with no pre-determined time limit.