Alton swears in new chief of police following former chief’s exit

Following the departure of former Alton Police Chief Jonathan Flores, the city of Alton swore in its new chief of police during its City Commission meeting Tuesday afternoon.

Mark J. Perez Sr., a United States Army veteran, was appointed as the new chief of police for the Alton Police Department effective immediately.

Perez brings over 25 years of established law enforcement and leadership experience as police chief.

He began his career in law enforcement as a patrol officer with the Falfurrias Police Department in 1996.

Perez joined the Alton Police Department as a police captain in 2018 and eventually reached the rank of assistant chief of police in 2019.

In addition to his positions in the Falfurrias and Alton police departments, Perez served in various law enforcement roles with the Kenedy County Sheriff’s Office, the Jim Hogg County Sheriff’s Office and the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office.

The new police chief graduated from the Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute Leadership Command College in 1993.

He also received his associates degree from South Texas College and his Certified Public Manager designation from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.

“[Perez] has a proven track record of commitment to community engagement, developing personnel, and deploying the latest technology in law enforcement to serve the needs of a growing community,” the city of Alton said in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

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