Waelder Police Chief Cesar Lopez retiring

The Waelder Police Department, already operating with two vacancies, will soon be without a police chief as well.

Waelder Mayor Pro Tem and Acting Mayor Mike Harris confirmed for the Inquirer that Chief Cesar Lopez will soon be stepping away from the job.

“The Chief (Lopez) is retiring and the (Waelder City) Council will be addressing what steps they will take to replace him,” Harris told the Inquirer Tuesday afternoon, March 18, in an email response.

Lopez’s departure means the department will only have Sgt. Gabriel Cortez and Animal Control Officer Anitra Seay on the job for this city of just under 1,000 people.

Lopez formerly worked as a reserve officer in Waelder and as a police officer for other jurisdictions in Texas before joining the department full time as an officer in April 2019. When former Chief Eric Jones  retired to take a position as a game warden in August 2022, Lopez was promoted to chief.

The Waelder City Council meets every second Tuesday of the month and will next meet April 8 unless a special meeting is called.

The city does have an advertisement on the Texas Municipal League website for two full-time certified peace officers and indicated it is “seeking professional qualified applicants who are pro-active and have a sense of duty, and serve the needs of the community.”

Officers will “be responsible for enforcing state and municipal laws and city ordinances in order to ensure the safely of the citizens and businesses in the City of Waelder,” according to the job posting.

Candidates must have a minimum Basic Peace Officer License in good standing with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and the job requires working 10 to 12 hour shifts as needed with every other weekend off and uniforms and other duty equipment are provided. The starting pay rate is $25 per hour without experience ($26 with experience) and there is competitive certification pay for Intermediate, Advanced and Master peace officer licenses after a six-month probationary period.

Applicants must submit a personal history statement and information release form either by hand-delivery to City of Waelder, 300 Hwy. 90 West, Waelder, TX 78959 or by mail to City of Waelder, Police Dept., P. O. Box 427, Waelder, TX 78959.