The position of Dallas College chief of police remains open as of publication time after former Chief of Police Lauretta Hill stepped down before the start of the 2023 spring semester. Hill served as chief of police for six years.

Herbert Ashford, Dallas College assistant chief of police, stepped in as the interim chief of police. Texas requires an agency head so Cdr. Mark Lopez, Brookhaven Campus, is now the interim assistant chief of police.

The interim chief of police has a chance to fill that position. Ashford’s career in law enforcement has spanned nearly 36 years. He was a sergeant at the Dallas Police Department before starting work at Dallas College nearly five years ago. “Since 1997, I had progressed up the leadership structure in law enforcement when I became a sergeant with the Dallas Police Department,” Ashford said. “I value the responsibility of leadership, and I have sought ever-increasing roles to apply my knowledge and experience.”

Ashford was proud to be selected for the position. “Being selected for the interim role means a lot, and that college leadership has trust in my abilities to lead the police department,” Ashford said.

Since becoming the interim chief of police, Ashford’s responsibilities have increased. “My responsibilities [now] include the entire department, covering training, personnel and recruiting, budget, property/evidence management, fleet, access control, accreditation and compliance,” Ashford said.

The interim assistant chief of police has been filled with an experienced member of the Dallas College Police Department. Lopez has worked as a police officer for 28 years, 24 of those at Brookhaven.

“I think every officer aspires to have a position like this at one point in their career,” Lopez said. “I believe based on my experience and my knowledge on how Dallas College works, I was selected for this position.”

“I am responsible for the safety and security of students/faculty on all of the campuses of Dallas College. I also supervise the campus commanders and try to help them in any way I can.”