2 days ago
Olney Chief of Police tapped to lead Vernon Police Department
VERNON (KFDX/KJTL) — The Vernon Police Department has a new face, hiring a familiar one from another Texoma city as its new Chief of Police.
On Monday evening, June 9, 2025, the Vernon City Commissioners held a special meeting to discuss the hiring of a new police chief. After just under an hour in executive session, commissioners voted unanimously to hire Dan Birbeck as the new head of the Vernon Police Department.
READ MORE: Olney Police Chief Dan Birbeck to see three more years in office
Chief Birbeck is a familiar face to residents of Olney, where he's served as the city's chief of police since 2020. Soon, he'll head to Vernon, assuming the same role in a place well known to him and his family.
'I started out as a police officer out in Quanah, Texas, many years ago,' Chief Birbeck said. 'This is where my wife's family is from, Quanah and Vernon, and when the opportunity became available with the opening of the police chief's position, I talked to my wife about it, and we thought this would be a very good fit for us.'
Just because the decision may be the best for Chief Birbeck and his family, however, doesn't mean it's an easy decision to make.
'Olney is a very special place,' Chief Birbeck said. 'There's a lot of amazing people there. This is very much a bittersweet decision for myself and for my wife.'
Chief Birbeck said the last five years serving as Olney's Chief of Police have been some of the most rewarding years of his career in law enforcement.
'As the police chief there, I was welcomed with open arms,' Chief Birbeck said. 'We've done some amazing work over the last five years. We reduced the crime rate significantly, by some accounts over 65 percent, and that's attributed to a great team we've put together.'
Chief Birbeck said that although the decision to leave Olney is a bittersweet one, he's still excited for what's to come in Vernon.
'This is just another step up the ladder,' Chief Birbeck said. 'You know, closer to home for my wife and, obviously, a larger agency and more opportunity.'
Chief Birbeck said he's ready to hit the ground running and make a difference in the city of Vernon.
READ MORE: City of Olney officials name fourth police chief since 2017
'The first thing I wanna do is do a full assessment of the police department and talk to the command staff at the police department,' Chief Birbeck said. 'I'll be leaning on them to get a full picture of the needs of the department and of the city.'
The next step for Chief Birbeck is to turn in his resignation in Olney, which he said he intended to do on Tuesday morning, June 10. After that, he said he's expecting to be set up in Vernon within the next 30 days.
'I'm looking to do great things and build great teams,' Chief Birbeck said. 'We should see a lot of good come from it.'Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
