Interim Police Chief Mike Markle awaits a vote of approval from the Corpus Christi City Council to become the new Chief of Police. Courtesy photo
A nationwide search that drew 50 applicants ended Dec. 21 when Interim Chief of Police Mike Markle was nominated to replace the late Chief Floyd Simpson. Simpson was killed in a motorcycle accident in May. Markle served as interim chief during the six-month-long search. The city council is expected to approve the appointment at a January meeting.
Six finalists for the job, including one other internal candidate, Assistant Chief of Police Mark Schauer, attended a public meet-and-greet Dec. 18, followed by a round of interviews on Saturday, Dec. 19 with city officials. The nomination was announced Monday, Dec. 21 by City Manager Ron Olson.
“We had six very strong candidates with outstanding qualifications,” Olson said in a statement to the press. “All the candidates did very well, but Mr. Markle was the leader among the candidates.”
Markle comes to the job with 26 years experience, all of it in Corpus Christi. He began in 1989 as a police officer. A Navy corpsman from Pennsylvania, he fell in love the city after serving out his military service here and decided to stay.
“I I loved Corpus Christi,” he said. “I loved the weather, I loved the coast, I love the people. I like Texas in general.”
Markle moved up through the ranks, beginning with a promotion to senior office in 1991. He served on the city’s SWAT team for seven years.
He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Saint Leo University in Saint Leo, Florida. In 2013, he completed a Senior Management Institute of Police course designed to prepare police executives for today’s challenges in law enforcement. He also completed an FBI administered seminar in Law Enforcement Executive Development.
“Some of the issues we are trying to get ahead of right now concerns what is happening around the country,” he told Corpus Christi Business News. “We have criminal terrorist acts that have folks frightened. I want to make sure our officers have the right equipment and training to deal with that. There are mechanical issues that we need to get on and I’ve already started that.”
In listing his goals for the department as its new leader, Markle pledged to communicate internally with his officers to make sure they all understood the department’s long-term goals.
“I want this entire department to be accessible to the public, so that they know what we do and why we do it,” he said. “That’s the only way to get the best buy-in from the community, so they don’t just defer public safety to the department, they are part of the process.”
Olson praised Markle as the nominee, noting that he stood out among the candidates, three of which came from the North Texas: Irving, Fort Worth and Dallas. A fourth was from Elk Grove, California.
“The City needs the best qualified Police Chief to lead the department,” Olson said, “and through the recruitment process, has confirmed that Mike Markle was that leader.”
Makle said he was humbled by the nomination.
“I’m happy they chose to go with an internal candidate,” he said. “I’m humbled and excited to have been able to come up in the department and be able to lead. I am looking forward to the challenges.”
The Corpus Christi chief of police is in charge of 432 sworn officers, 220 civilians and a budget of more than $70 million. The annual salary is expected to range from $96,463 to $158,066. The late Chief Simpson made more than $130,000. The police chief also receives use of a car or a car allowance, along with a standard benefits package.
