Waxahachie Chief of Police Joe Wiser reflects on his journey to chief

Born and raised in the city long before he served as one of its police officers for 32 years, Waxahachie Chief of Police Joe Wiser recalls running through the fields, where the police station now stands on Farley Street, as a kid.

“This field and everything around us – it was our stomping grounds,” he said. “When they were building this building, I told the builders, ‘Now if you find some old tennis shoes in this cotton field here, they belong to me because I lost a pair coming across it when it was muddy.’ ”

Wiser never imagined he would one day be chief of police for a city he says he loves immensely.

“If someone would have said 50 years ago that I would be the chief of police in this building in this cotton field, everybody would have said, ‘You’re crazy,’ including me,” he said. “It’s a surreal moment.”

As chief, he is hoping to build upon the work retired Chief Wade Goolsby did at the department. With a degree in architecture, Goolsby was instrumental in building not only their new station, but also their new culture, structures and processes, taking them from a small agency to a midsize agency, Wiser said.

Wiser views Goolsby as the architect and himself as the conductor.

“It’s been said that a conductor of an orchestra is reliant on each individual member’s talent and skill in order to make beautiful sounds,” Wiser said. “When done well, beautiful music is made without the conductor ever making a sound. I hope to be the conductor who brings everyone’s talents together and let them make beautiful music without ever making a sound myself.”

Wiser said his job will involve fine tuning, giving everyone the necessary tools to do their job and stepping back to watch as they reach their full potential.

He has watched the culture of the department change over the past seven years under the leadership of Goolsby and hopes to continue building that culture.

“It’s made a tremendous difference for us and given us a sense of purpose,” he said.

They measure everything they do based off honor, ethics, accountability, respect and transparency – the H.E.A.R.T. of the department. Wiser said the department is family-oriented and feels like one big family.

He hopes to build a personal legacy as someone who is “fair, equitable, compassionate, kind and of service to them.”

Wiser said, for him, being a police officer was a “calling,” and something he prayed about many times before God led him to the field.

“My prayer to God over 30 years ago is that he would show me the path that he would have me to walk in order to serve him and my fellow citizens,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful journey, and I’ve always been honored to serve in this capacity.”

Wiser did not attend a conventional police academy but took core criminal justice courses at Navarro College in Corsicana, which allowed him to take the state exam. When he passed the state exam, he applied to be a police officer at WPD, was tested through its civil service process and successfully passed.

In November 1990, he started as a patrolman. Over his time at the department, he served on the problem directed response team, on the criminal investigations unit, as a detective sergeant, as a patrol lieutenant, as operations assistant chief and support services assistant chief before eventually becoming chief when Goolsby retired at the end of September.

“I told the city manager, Michael Scott, that no doubt he could find people far more talented than me, but what he would not find is someone who loves this organization and loves this city more than me,” Wiser said. “That would be impossible.”

The transition from assistant chief to chief was somewhat challenging at first as Wiser learned his new duties alongside still having to complete his old ones as they worked to fill his previous position, but they have now hired a new assistant chief, and Wiser is settling into his role.

“The amount of support I have gotten internally and externally has been far more overwhelming than the overwhelmingness of the new job,” Wiser said.

Wiser wants the Waxahachie community to know that during the annual training at the beginning of 2023, they will be placing a primary focus on active shooter training.

“This type of training is critical in order to provide our first responders with the necessary capabilities to end the threat or harm of a would be or active shooter,” Wiser said. “That’s going to be priority one for us in our training.”

Wiser also wants the community to know that the department’s outreach events and activities will still happen.

“Community outreach is very important to us,” Wiser said. “We will continue that, and we’ll build upon it as well.”

These community outreach events include Shop with a Cop, where officers are paired with foster children to shop for Christmas gifts, and the Cops with Kids picnic, where the police department hosts a free day in the park with food, activities and more.

More information on these events and on the Waxahachie Police Department can be found on Facebook @WaxahachiePoliceDepartment or by visiting https://www.waxahachie.com/departments/police_department_new/index.php.

Originally published November 17, 2022 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/news/local/waxahachie-chief-of-police-joe-wiser-reflects-on-his-journey-to-chief/article_bc896d6c-66b7-11ed-a357-e3d5c26c2f5a.html