Winona Police Department Closing Down May 29

WINONA — The Winona Police Department announced Thursday morning it will be closing near the end of the month. Chief Bryan Richards released a statement to our news partner KETK that reads, in part, “On Tuesday, May 19th, the newly elected Winona City Mayor and Council made the decision to close the Winona Police Department as of May 29, 2015 due to financial restraints. I would like to personally thank all the citizens that supported me and the officers of the Police Department. I would like to give a special Thank You to the Officers that I employed since 2012.”

The statement continues, “I have been truly blessed in my 18 years of Law Enforcement. Although I am sad to see the City of Winona without a local Police Agency, this change has caused other doors of opportunity to open. I have to say we serve an amazing God and there is no doubt his plan is better than anything we could ever plan for ourselves.” There was no immediate word on who would be handling law enforcement in the city.

Richards’s statement also references a decision by Winona ISD to create its own police department, but the school administration says no decision has been made in that regard. Winona Police Officer Johnny Vargas has been acting as the school district’s police chief. The Winona ISD Board of Trustees recently adopted a resolution that it is in the best interest of the district to start a district police force to provide security for the campuses. The Board has directed Superintendent Denise Shetter to initiate policies and practices for the startup of a district police force.

However, there is much more to the process, including weighing financial responsibilities, and this does not mean the district has decided to move forward with the creation of a district police department. Shetter stated school officials are “exploring the option” at this time, but they still need to apply with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE), among other steps.