Chief Cory Tchida brings more than 28 years of law enforcement experience, and 27 of those years were dedicated to the Georgetown Police Department. Starting as a patrol officer, he has steadily advanced through the ranks to his current role as chief, where he oversees all aspects of the department’s operations, including patrol, criminal investigations, traffic, records, communications, and community engagement.
Chief Tchida is also an experienced educator, having taught courses on topics like use of force, active shooter scenarios, racial profiling, crime statistics, wellness, and leadership. He has implemented significant initiatives within the department, including creating a workload tracking system for patrol officers, coordinating department-wide training, and rewriting the standard operating procedures for the Narcotics Unit. Currently, he is focused on enhancing the department’s mental health response, fostering accountability, increasing the number of women in law enforcement, and building resilient officers. His dedication has earned him numerous honors, including the Georgetown Police Chief’s Award, the City of Georgetown Manager of the Year Award, and the Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year.
What excites you about being police chief?
I am excited about the future of Georgetown PD and this city! There are so many people who care about both and want the best for both! Even though we are a really good department and have done a lot of good things, the work is not done. There is always value to add to people and I am always excited about that!
What is the biggest challenge you have faced as police chief?
The biggest challenge I have faced as chief and continue to face is the significant growth that Georgetown has seen. For the third year in a row, we have been ranked the fastest growing city in the country with a population over 50,000. Growth brings additional calls for service and the potential for more crime. It is everyone’s goal to continue to see Georgetown be a safe place to live, work, and play. We have been able to maintain a low crime rate and that is a testament to the people that live here and the women and men of the Georgetown Police Department.
How can residents get involved with the police department?
We have one of the most robust Volunteers in Policing programs I have ever seen. The amount of hours these volunteers work on an annual basis is incredible. The gateway to getting involved as a volunteer is to attend one of our Citizen Police Academies. This is a great chance to see what YOUR police department is all about and see what might interest you.
How is the police department involved in the community?
Every day we work to engage the community at every level. The most important engagement that we do are those individual contacts between officers and citizens on calls for service and other encounters. Outside of that we engage in Citizen Police Academies, National Night Out, Junior Police Academies, Coffee with a Cop, Blue Santa, and any forum, presentation, or event to which we are invited.
What do you consider your biggest achievement as chief?
The biggest achievement, and one that rightfully belongs to more people than just me, is the fact that we are one of few law enforcement agencies that has been able to achieve a full staffing level of police officers. I attribute this to our strong positive culture, competitive benefits package, excellent facilities and resources and, most importantly, a great community. I want to make sure we continue to have and grow a culture that provides for employee wellness and supports their desire to be valued, have a sense of belonging, and a strong sense of purpose. Having all of that makes them well prepared to provide the level of protection and service Georgetown expects and deserves.
What do you love most about being Georgetown’s police chief?
I absolutely love this community! I raised my kids here and have called Georgetown home since the late 1990s. There comes a time in your career where you achieve certain levels of education and training and people start to ask you if you plan on going somewhere else and being a chief. That was never a consideration or dream for me. My heart and my home have always been Georgetown!