Lubbock citizens invited to meet-and-greet with police chief candidates Thursday evening

Alex Driggars, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
·2 min read
Pictured are Lubbock's police chief finalists, clockwise from top-left, Glen Fowler, Seth Herman, Kenneth Myers and Michael Smathers.
Pictured are Lubbock's police chief finalists, clockwise from top-left, Glen Fowler, Seth Herman, Kenneth Myers and Michael Smathers.

Lubbock citizens will have an opportunity Thursday evening to meet the four men vying to become the city's next chief of police.

The City of Lubbock is hosting a meet-and-greet with the four finalists for the vacant police chief position and will give residents a chance to share their thoughts and feedback with city leaders during the event.

The meet-and-greet will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday in the second-floor Terrace Suite at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The city welcomes and encourages all community members to attend.

The city previously announced the four finalists in a news release April 15.

More: Final four Lubbock police chief candidates announced

The finalists are Glen Fowler, the chief of police for the Methodist Health System in Dallas; Midland Police Chief Seth Herman; Allen Deputy Police Chief Kenneth Meyers and Albuquerque Deputy Police Chief Michael Smathers.

Fowler started his law-enforcement career in Lubbock, earning the rank of captain, before departing to the metroplex and serving as a deputy chief for the Allen Police Department. He later served as police chief in Watauga before joining the hospital.

Herman has served the Midland Police Department for 28 years, the entirety of his law-enforcement career. He was named chief in 2018.

Myers joined the Allen Police Department in 2000, earning the title of deputy chief over the patrol division in 2020. He served as an officer and detective for the Trophy Club/Westlake Department of Public Safety prior to joining Allen PD.

Smathers served in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department in North Carolina for 25 years, earning the rank of major, before becoming the Albuquerque Police Department's first outside deputy chief in 2019.

The city launched an "intensive, nationwide search" for its next police chief after Floyd Mitchell stepped down from the position in September last year. Officials say they will name the recommended finalist as soon as possible.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock citizens invited to meet-and-greet with police chief candidates