By George Slaughter
Municipal Judge Jeffrey Brashear swears in Police Chief Noe Diaz. Mayor Chuck Brawner is on left – George Slaughter photo
Katy Police Chief Noe Diaz was sworn into office Monday in front of a packed Katy City Hall council chamber filled with law enforcement personnel from various agencies.
Before becoming chief, Diaz was a Texas Ranger for 11 years. He began his career as a correctional officer in 1986 with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He later became a deputy constable in Harris County Precinct 5 in 1994, then joined the Texas Department of Public Safety in 1996.
Diaz earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/political science in 2011 from the University of Houston-Downtown, and his master’s degree in criminology in 2014 from Lamar University. He completed the FBI National Academy in 2016.
The police chief job drew 76 applicants and the field was narrowed down to five finalists, which included Diaz. The city council approved his hiring last week.
Diaz becomes the fourth police chief in Katy’s history, following Pat Adams (1967-1996), R.L. “Buddy” Frazier (1996-2009), and Bill Hastings (2009-1019). Adams is retired and lives in Houston. Frazier died last August. Hastings retired as chief in January.