BEAUMONT, Texas — The City Manager has recommended that Beaumont Police Captain Tim Ocnaschek be the city's next chief of police.
12News has confirmed that overnight, Beaumont City Council received an email from City Manager Kenneth Williams with an official recommendation for the next police chief of the Beaumont Police Department.
Williams said in the email that he has announced the appointment of Tim Ocnaschek as the new Beaumont Chief of Police.
“We received the announcement last night. He has been appointed by the City Manager. Now it is up to the City Council to confirm him,” Mayor Roy West told 12News in a text message confirmation.
We also confirmed the information directly from Captain Ocnaschek himself.
The next step is for City Council to approve or reject the appointment at the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, July 30.
Yesterday, 12News sent a request for the resumes of the candidates that had been interviewed for the position of police chief.
The city responded by only sending the original candidates from earlier this month. Ocnaschek was not on the list that we had received.
“I listened to the City Council at the last meeting and am now bringing forth a local candidate and one of our own with emergency management experience. While Mr. Ocnaschek was not in the top five last time, he was number six. It was just a numbers game as to how many went forth after a recommendation from the search firm to limit, but there is no doubt his credentials are comparable,” Williams stated in a statement from the city.
“While there is no perfect candidate, all of the candidates are good. Mr. Ocnaschek’s reputation for integrity, experience in law enforcement, the community’s positive view of him, the fact that he lives in Beaumont, and his willingness to work on solutions to Beaumont’s crime issues separated him from the other candidates,” said Williams.
Williams tells 12News he believes Ocnaschek embodies the characteristics the community has told the city they want in their next top cop.
"We took those things into account and what we have in a final appointment candidate is what the community described," he said. "Someone from Beaumont. We got a lot of feedback that they wanted someone who lived in Beaumont."
Ocnaschek has 38 years of experience in law enforcement with eight years as a part of the highest command staff in the Beaumont Police Department.
"Public safety is important on a personal level as well as a community level," Ocnaschek said.
He was a member of the United States Air Force in active and reserve duty where he managed security forces for many facilities including Randolph Air Force Base and thousands of employees.
Ocnaschek has seventeen years as emergency management coordinator for the City of Beaumont and eight years as a captain having risen to the highest promotable ranks in the department, according to a release from the city.
He currently serves as the Administrative Division Commander for Beaumont Police Department.
Ocnaschek holds a Master of Science in Public Administration from Midwestern State and a Bachelor of Applied Arts and Science, Criminal Justice from Lamar University.
Ocnaschek's reputation for integrity and his willingness to work on crime solutions separated the captain from the crowd.
"One of the units that works for me is the police community relations so I have a close relationship with a number of neighborhood groups and other organizations," said Ocnaschek.
He believes lowering the crime rate in Beaumont will take a joint effort between the police department and the community.
"Trying to get community buy-in for helping us integrate cameras, public facing cameras, that they would help contribute to public safety," Ocnaschek told 12News.
He hopes the council will approve him for the job.
"I can only hope for a unanimous decision. I think it's important to the community and I think it's important to the department," Ocnaschek said.
After listening to the community's concerns Williams believes the long process yielded the best candidate for the city.
"Even though we used a search firm, we think it was appropriate because in the end we ended up with the candidate we need for Beaumont," Williams said.
If confirmed by the city council he will start as Chief on August 1, 2024.