The Irving Police Department has sworn in its eleventh police chief. Derick Miller received his badge from his kids at Irving Police headquarters and took the oath Tuesday morning.
"It's an amazing feeling to be in a city that's so vibrant, so diverse, so much community support for this police department, it's amazing," Miller said.
Miller is from Benbrook. He started with Carrollton Police as a reserve officer in 1992 and became chief in 2017. The Irving Police Department is about twice the size of Carrollton.
"I've got to get in the job and lift up the hood," Miller said. "The department's working the exact way it ought to be working. There are always ways we can tweak it, and we'll make sure we figure those things out. I've got to get in there, first."
Miller credits previous chiefs with building an efficient department. Jeff Spivey retired in February.
Miller says Spivey helped build community engagement, internal connections, and communication among all levels of the department. Miller says he hopes to maintain and expand that engagement.
"Building and maintaining trust is what this is all about," Miller said. "If our community doesn't trust us, they won't call for us when they need our help. That's job one for us."
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