WEIMAR — Weimar’s newest police chief, Jason Smalley, is no stranger to how small departments should be run. Smalley began his career in law enforcement with Austin County in 1997. He later joined the Washington, Travis, and Harris County Sheriff’s Office before leaving the big city scene to come back to the Austin County Sheriff's Office.
Smalley joined the Bellville Police Department in 2005 and rose through the ranks to become the Bellville chief of police in 2021. One of his strengths throughout his career was his belief in community-based patrol and public safety, which showed the areas he served that they could trust him. That was shown by the youth engagement programs and public outreach efforts and by showing the department was visible and approachable.
Smalley’s forward-thinking initiatives brought the Bellville Police Department a new police department facility that will meet the needs of a growing community, expansion of the patrol operations for better coverage and faster response times, the creation of a K-9 unit used for narcotics detection, outreach and tracking, in-car data terminals and mobile cita- tion writers and increased officer wages to help in officer retention and recruitment of qualified per sonnel.
His successes didn’t come by his own initiatives alone. In his role as police chief, he has the ability to reach across city departments, including the mayor, city council, and his officers, to achieve his goals.
Beginning his tenure as the Weimar Police Chief on April 6, Smalley brings decades of experi- ence that will benefit Weimar and move the city forward in its policing duties.
