The City of Dayton has officially named Shane Burleigh as its new police chief following a decision made during executive session at the Dayton City Council meeting on Monday, March 16.
Burleigh has served with Dayton Police Department for 20 years and has been leading the department over the past year in an interim capacity.
City Manager Derek Woods recommended the appointment, praising Burleigh’s leadership and long-standing service to the community.
“After careful consideration, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Shane Burleigh as the City’s Chief of Police. Shane has long been a steadfast presence within both our department and our community. Over the past several months, he has served with distinction as Interim Chief of Police following my transition into the role of City Manager. During this time—and throughout his more than 20 years of dedicated service to the City of Dayton—he has consistently demonstrated integrity, strong leadership, and a calm, measured approach to public safety,” Woods said in a statement to Bluebonnet News.
He went on to add, “His experience, professionalism, and commitment to excellence make him exceptionally well-suited to lead our police department as our city continues to grow and evolve. Shane’s steady leadership and deep understanding of our community will ensure the department continues to uphold the highest standards of service while strengthening public trust. I am confident that under his leadership, our police department is well-prepared to meet the future with strength, stability, and continued excellence.”
Mayor Martin Mudd also expressed confidence in Burleigh’s leadership.
“I am extremely confident in Shane Burleigh,” Mudd said. “He is fully invested in this city and has our best interests at heart.”
Mudd said he believes Burleigh’s leadership style will serve the city well moving forward.
“I believe he is someone the city can grow with for the long term,” Mudd said.
A native of Orangefield, Burleigh attended Lamar University and completed the Lamar University Police Academy through the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department. He began his law enforcement career with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, where he served as a deputy for nine years.
After a brief time working in the offshore oil and gas industry, Burleigh returned to law enforcement and joined the Dayton Police Department, where he has remained ever since.
“I found out that wasn’t my cup of tea,” Burleigh said of his time outside law enforcement.
Burleigh said he quickly developed a strong connection to the community.
“I moved here, fell in love with the place, and I’ve been here ever since,” he said.
Throughout his career, Burleigh has worked in nearly every role within the department, with the exception of dispatch, which he has supervised.
“One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is remembering where I came from,” he said.
As chief, Burleigh said he plans to continue building on improvements made in recent years.
“Our goals now are capital improvements and infrastructure — updating patrol vehicles and improving department infrastructure,” he said. “We want to make sure our officers have the tools they need to do their job.”
The department currently has 22 law enforcement officers, along with two animal control officers, six dispatchers, and an analyst/communications supervisor. There is one open patrol position and one open dispatch position.
Burleigh acknowledged that recruitment and retention remain ongoing challenges.
“For Liberty County, we pay very well, but it’s hard to compete with the budgets around us,” he said. “It’s about building a culture where people want to stay and be part of the community.”
During his 20 years with the department, Burleigh said he has seen significant modernization.
“When I first came here, we were still handwriting a lot of documents,” he said. “The one thing that has not changed has been the way our community supports our police officers. That’s been a big part of why I stayed.”
Burleigh said Dayton continues to maintain a relatively low violent crime rate, with most calls involving traffic crashes and theft.
“Traffic and traffic crashes are our biggest concerns,” he said. “That’s why we focus enforcement there — to change driving habits.”
Burleigh said becoming police chief has been a long-term goal.
“It was a goal of mine 20 years ago to become a police chief,” he said. “It’s a realized goal, and I look forward to serving the people in this department and this community.”
He also expressed appreciation for those who have supported him along the way.
“I couldn’t have gotten this far without the support of my family, friends, and co-workers,” he said.