The Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) approved Northeast Texas Community College’s application to establish a police department on its campus on September 12th, 2024. Russell Radke was sworn in as the college’s first Chief of Police that same day.
“We are very excited that our police department is officially in operation and it was my honor to swear in Chief Radke as its inaugural leader. Gaining approval from TCOLE to transition from a security office to a campus police department has been a complex process that required a lot of dedication on the part of the Chief and others. We appreciate their dedication to this important endeavor,” Dr. Ron Clinton, NTCC President, said.
NTCC has historically operated with a staff of security officers who referred situations beyond their scope to the Titus County Sheriff’s Office. Radke was hired this spring to begin the process of establishing the police department. Radke previously served as the police chief at Chapel Hill ISD and has 39 years of experience in law enforcement.
“NTCC’s rural location can result in slower response times from local law enforcement agencies in the case of an emergency. Having our own police department allows us to respond quickly to any campus emergency. Additionally, the NTCC PD will be positioned to proactively address campus safety concerns, allowing the campus community to be more self-sufficient. We will continue to build strong working relationships with our area law enforcement partners. We understand that we all need each other when managing a major crisis.” Radke said.
While the police department is officially up and running, NTCC will operate with a combination of security staff and police officers for the time being.
“As always, we will have round the clock security presence on campus. The existing security team has a well-established, trusting relationship with the campus community and our goal is for that to continue as we transition to a fully-staffed police department,” Radke said.
Emergencies on campus should be routed through 9-1-1, where they will be dispatched to the NTCC Police Department. General security inquiries can be directed to the non-emergency line of 903-434-8127.
