Darryle Slaven named as the Huntsville Chief of Police
Dec. 2—The Huntsville Police Department has a new leader after the retirement of Kevin Lunsford in early 2022. Darryle Slaven, who has been serving as interim police chief, has been Assistant Chief.
City Manager Aron Kulhavy said Chief Slaven has shown to be well respected in the law enforcement community, the other departments of the City, and the residents of Huntsville. Chief Slaven has worked for the Huntsville Police Department for almost 34 years previously serving as the Interim Chief of Police.
"He has achieved numerous noteworthy achievements throughout his career. The Huntsville Police Department is a well-respected part of the City organization and will continue to provide the best service to citizens under Chief Slaven's direction," said Kulhavy through a press release.
Following a review of his qualifications, performance as interim, and many conversations with both citizens and staff, Kulhavy decided to remove the interim tag and name Darryle Slaven as the Chief of Police.
"I have complete faith in Chief Slaven in leading the HPD towards what the future holds for us," said Kulhavy.
Chief Slaven has worked for the Huntsville Police Department for almost 34 years. He has achieved numerous noteworthy achievements throughout his career. He attended McNeese State University on an Army ROTC scholarship and obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice in 1988.
He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1988 and attended the Adjutant General Officer Basic Course in Indiana, graduating in early 1989. He began working with the City of Huntsville in May of 1989 and took Command of the 15th Water Purification Detachment (Army Reserve Unit), also located in Huntsville.
Chief Slaven completed the Harris County Sheriff's Academy in 1989 and started as a patrol officer with the Huntsville Police Department. As Commander of the 15th Quarter Master Detachment, he was activated/deployed for Desert Shield/Storm from October 1990 — July 1991. The 15th Quarter Master Detachment was awarded the Meritorious Unit Citation for its achievements during the conflict.
Chief Slaven returned to the patrol division of the Huntsville Police Department and completed around 11 years as a patrol officer. He then transferred to the Criminal Investigation Division and served as a Financial Crimes Detective for approximately two and a half years.
In late 2002, he was promoted to Sergeant, and later promoted to Lieutenant over the Support Services Division in early 2007, until 2010, when he was promoted to Captain. He served as a Captain for almost one year when the position was reclassified to Assistant Chief, where he served through July 2022 for approximately 12 years. Additional duties held by Slaven while serving with the Huntsville Police Department included TCOLE Instructor, Firearms Instructor, Field Training Officer, and Intoxilyzer Operator.
Chief Slaven currently holds a Master Peace Officer license obtained in 2000. He graduated from the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) in 2005. He also has over 5,600 training hours with TCOLE.
"I am very honored the have the privilege of serving as Huntsville's next Police Chief. I really appreciate the overwhelming support from the community and the leaders of our great city," said Chief Slaven. "I feel that the former Police Chief, Kevin Lunsford, has been an outstanding friend/mentor which will hopefully allow for a smooth transition. I am blessed to have such a good team of employees to work with, which definitely makes my job easier."
