Cedar Hill Names New Police Chief, Ely Reyes

City Manager Greg Porter has appointed Ely Reyes Chief of the Cedar Hill Police Department. Reyes is currently Assistant Chief of Police of the Austin Police Department, where he has served in numerous capacities for more than 20 years.

“I am honored and humbled to have been selected to serve as the Chief of Police for the Cedar Hill Police Department,” says Reyes. “The Department consists of dedicated men and women who proudly serve their community and have built a reputation of trust and respect with the community. My goal will be to build upon those relationships and continue on the path of making Cedar Hill one of the safest cities in the region.”

Throughout his career in the Austin Police Department, Reyes has served in many facets of police work, including patrol, community engagement and partnerships, criminal investigations, traffic operations, communications, fleet and facility services, internal affairs, and training.

“Chief Reyes is an experienced and innovative leader with a demonstrated passion for the well-being of families, community policing, and neighborhood engagement,” says Porter.  “Those qualities make him an ideal fit to steward our special community and to lead our innovative and high performing Cedar Hill Police Department, and I am excited to have him join our team.”

Reyes earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas State University and is a graduate of the Certified Public Manager Program, the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) Leadership Command College, and the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP) at Boston University.  Before his law enforcement career, Reyes served in the U.S. Army for six years with overseas tours in Panama, South Korea, and Cuba.

Reyes is expected to begin his duties as Police Chief on April 1.