Edinburg’s new police chief is set to officially take the reins of the department this week.
The city announced last week that Jaime Ayala, an Edinburg native, will be sworn in Friday.
The ceremony will take place at the Edinburg City Hall courtyard at 12:15 p.m. and the event will be streamed live on the city’s Facebook page and Spectrum channel 1300.
Ayala, who has spent the last 32 years working for the Arlington Police Department, is replacing former Chief Cesar Torres, who the city fired in May for discriminating against two police officers for their membership and activity in a police union.
City Manager Ron Garza also told Torres in a letter that he failed to complete multiple directives and said the former chief’s leadership created a “bitter fracture” within the department.
Documents obtained by The Monitor indicate that Torres disputes all of Garza’s assertions for his termination and the former chief has filed two lawsuits, one in federal court alleging a due process violation over a suspension he received, and a whistleblower lawsuit in state court where he alleges Garza and other officials pressured him not to report an alleged crime against another officer, who is a prominent union member.
That officer had previously been accused and exonerated of a crime and was involved with opposition to Torres’ proposed policies, and had filed a complaint against a patrol officer Torres promoted to assistant chief with the Texas Rangers.
Along with taking over one of the Rio Grande Valley’s largest local law enforcement agencies, Ayala will also manage a department that has weathered two years of litigation from the Edinburg United Police Officers Association and the related division from Torres’ decisions as chief.
As for Ayala, his credentials are top-notch and, in a news release announcing his hiring, he said he’s excited and honored to return to Edinburg, where he started his career in 1983 as a volunteer reserve officer and then a dispatcher.
“Extremely excited and honored to have an opportunity to come back to Edinburg and be a part of a great police department with great employees who serve their community day in and day out,” Ayala said in the release. “It takes special people to choose this line of work and to keep serving during the difficult times law enforcement has faced in recent years. I look forward to being a part of this executive team and leading those who chose a profession in public service.”
During his time with the Arlington Police Department, Ayala rose through the ranks reaching the position of assistant chief and he recently served as interim chief for that department.
“I recently served as the Interim Police Chief in Arlington which consists of approximately 900 employees with an operating budget of $117 million dollars. During a time of unique crisis following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, I led our efforts in managing numerous sometimes violent protests as well as engaging segments of the community as part of the healing process,” Ayala wrote in a cover letter.
Ayala holds a bachelor’s degree in speech communications, as well as a master’s degree. Additionally, he is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute and the FBI Academy.
“I am keenly aware of the need for collaboration amongst city departments and community to enhance public safety and improve the quality of life where all can feel safe anywhere — anytime,” Ayala wrote in the letter.
He also said that while in the city of Arlington, he forged partnerships with business and tourism communities, as well as with other city departments to work on collaboratively solving neighborhood issues.
“In partnership with East Arlington Renewal and multiple departments such as code enforcement, libraries, fire, housing, and the school district, we created Amigos de Arlington,” Ayala wrote. “This was a boots on the ground effort to identify and work with neighborhoods suffering from decay. Together many neighborhoods were cleaned up, children received books and the overall quality of life was improved.”
In his communications with the city via his application, Ayala stressed his happiness with returning to his hometown to use what he has learned in his more than three decades of police work.
“Having been born and raised in Edinburg, I welcome the opportunity to return home and use my innovative experience, strategic police leadership and global relationship building as the next Edinburg Police Chief,” he wrote.
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