City calls for 2024 police chief election — here’s who’s running thus far
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — The San Angelo City Council officially called for the commencement of the May 2024 general election for chief of police during its Feb. 6 meeting, putting the head role of the San Angelo Police Department up for grabs. With ballot applications closing on Feb. 16, many San Angelo residents have one question in mind: Who will be running for election?
There have been two candidate packets accepted by the City Clerk as of the time of publication, belonging to Lt. Christopher Cimino and Sgt. Travis Griffith. A third candidate is also expected to file their packet, potentially making this year’s police chief election a three-way race.
Christopher Cimino
Cimino, referred to as “Chris” by many, currently serves as a shift patrol lieutenant for the SAPD‘s Charles and Delta patrol companies as well as the Lake Division and K-9 Unit.
Hailing from Big Spring, Texas, he served in the United States Marine Corps infantry with Alpha Co. 1st Battalion 5th Marines from 1994 to 1998 before receiving an honorable discharge. He attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, following his discharge, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology in 2003.
He was hired by the SAPD in 2005, where he served as a patrol officer, narcotics detective, CID detective, member of the Crisis Negotiations Team, patrol sergeant and K-9 sergeant before promoting to lieutenant in 2016.
Presently, Cimino is seeking the title of police chief to address the “deep-seated internal issues that have not been fixed in the almost 19 years” he has served in the SAPD, according to his campaign website. Though Cimino doesn’t disparage the successes seen under Police Chief Frank Carter’s administration, he believes that should the SAPD continue to be successful, it must be led by someone who cannot be affected by “undue influence.”
“It needs someone who is not an integral part of the ‘good ol’ boy’ system, which is pervasive and ruinous to small departments like ours,” Cimino said on his campaign website. “It needs a person who doesn’t owe anyone a single thing.”
Cimino has several goals he wishes to accomplish should he be elected police chief, just a few of which are as follows:
The enforcement of discipline, policy and the chain of command
Revisions to the SAPD’s policy manual for simplification and conciseness
Changes to patrol division shifts to ensure that more patrol officers are available during periods of the day likely to have increased service calls
The implementation of 3-year appointments for Criminal Investigation Division detectives, as opposed to lifelong appointments, to ensure officers are “well-rounded”
For more information about Cimino’s campaign, visit his campaign website.
Travis Griffith
Griffith has been in the SAPD for over 15 years and currently serves as a sergeant. According to his campaign website, he has served in law enforcement for over two decades, with his areas of experience including SWAT, patrol, hostage negotiation, special operations and administration.
Griffith has served 10 years in supervisory roles throughout several departments, including the Patrol Division, Criminal Investigation Division, Anti-Crime Unit and Internal Affairs. He also has over 25 years of experience in municipal government.
Griffith’s faith plays an important role in his life and career, and he acts as a lay elder at PaulAnn Baptist Church. He also considers himself a family man, being married to Vanessa, a fourth-grade teacher in the San Angelo Independent School District, and being the proud father of 19-year-old aspiring nurse Marissa and newborn son Barret.
Griffith has set his campaign upon three “pillars of trust,” which are integral aspects of his personal philosophy and vision for the SAPD: safety, accountability and trust. Below are each of the pillars, as well as a statement made on his website regarding their meaning:
Safety
“Travis is dedicated to real safety—not just policy but a promise. He aims for a proactive, secure community, tackling crime’s roots and fostering partnerships for San Angelo’s well-being.”
Accountability
“Travis sees accountability as crucial to trust in San Angelo. He promotes a responsible law enforcement culture that respects both legal and ethical standards, promising leadership that prioritizes justice and responsiveness to the community.”
Transparency
“Travis prioritizes transparency as vital for trust between the police and San Angelo. He is committed to open dialogue, clear law enforcement processes, and addressing public concerns, ensuring community confidence in their police.”
“As a candidate for Police Chief, Travis envisions a San Angelo where community and law enforcement work hand in hand, where transparency builds trust, and collective growth is achieved through shared goals and mutual respect,” Griffith’s campaign website reads. “His leadership is aimed not only at maintaining order but at fostering a spirit of unity and communal pride.”
For more information about Griffith’s campaign, visit his campaign website.
Mike Hernandez
Lt. Mike Hernandez, affectionately nicknamed “Burrito” by his fellow officers, is the last known candidate expected to appear on the ballot for the May 2024 election. Though he announced his bid for police chief on the steps of City Hall just moments before 2023’s Veterans Day parade, the May 2024 general election webpage does not indicate that he has submitted a candidate packet as of the time of publication.
Hernandez joined the SAPD in 1990, where he has served for 33 years. Much like Cimino, Hernandez served in the U.S. Marine Corps prior to his arrival at the police department.
Hernandez has accrued over 5,200 hours of training during his career, including a 10-week leadership course at the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia, in 2014. He has worked a variety of positions during his time with the SAPD, including roles in the Patrol Unit, Gang Unit, SWAT Team, Narcotics and the Special Operations Section.
“My experience gives me insight to identify needed improvements in our department, my supplemental training and education give me effective plans for improvement and my fellow officers’ experience with me will give them the faith in my intentions,” Hernandez said during his Nov. 11, 2023, public address.
Hernandez isn’t a stranger to the police chief race — he ran against Carter during the 2016 election before eventually endorsing his opponent and serving under him for the years that followed. He’s back on the campaign trail, however, looking to take another shot at the police chief position.
“After much prayer and preparation, and with the encouragement of so many of you, I will seek to serve as your next Police Chief,” Hernandez said in a social media post on Oct. 26, 2023. “I ran in 2016 because I felt change was needed. I have been proud to support Chief Carter as he has implemented his vision for that change. Now, looking ahead, there are immediate challenges on the horizon for our department. I am confident my experience, discipline and deep pride in the SAPD will equip me to meet those challenges with great success from Day One.”
Though he has no official campaign website, Hernandez shared some of the matters he wishes to address as police chief during his campaign announcement on Veterans Day 2023. In particular, Hernandez wishes to reinstill a sense of pride in the SAPD and better communication with the community.
“Pride in the department goes hand in hand with improved discipline. Pride in the department comes from better training. Pride in the department leads to more successful recruitment and retention. And most of all, pride in our department means pride in our community, and our community’s pride in us,” Hernandez said during his Nov. 11, 2023, public address. “This is the key to a circle of communication that makes us all safer and more secure.”
Hernandez has thus far favored on-the-ground campaigning this election season, with several posts made on his Facebook campaign platform detailing his work in the SAPD as well the success of multiple “Meet & Greet” events.
For more information about Hernandez’s campaign, visit his campaign Facebook page.
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