New Athens Police Chief Chad Allen was sworn in during Monday night's City Council meeting. He will officially begin in his new position on Monday, Oct. 16. He takes over from Interim Chief Thomas Williams.

"I am very excitied that Chief Allen and his family have joined Athens," said Mayor Aaron "Bubba" Smith. "He is going to be a great asset for the City and I look forward to working with him."

Chief Allen comes to Athens from the Keller Police Department where he was most recently a Captain and Operations Commander. He started his law enforcement career in the Keller PD in 2006.

In his role as Operations Commander, Chief Allen was in charge of the patrol division, criminal investigations division, traffic division, and school resource officers.

"In all these areas, I continue to uphold a dedication to excellence through leading by example, mentoring leaders, and innovating solutions to accomplish our mission in an everchanging public service environment," he said.

Before entering law enforcement, Chief Allen was a Staff Sergeant in the U.S. Army where he served for eight years. While in the military, he coordinated and led more than 100 combat missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.

"Through my career in the U.S. Army and as a Texas peace officer with the City of Keller, I have developed a strong passion for serving others," Chief Allen said.

In addition to his military experience and time with the Keller PD, Chief Allen also has a Masters Degree in Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington, graduate certificates in both Public Budgeting/Financial Management and Criminal Justice Education. He is also a graduate from the FBI National Academy and Senior Management Institute for Police.

Chief Allen is married with three children. They love hiking, camping, and anything outdoors related.