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CUERO – Police Chief Glenn Mutchler is retiring effective at the end of the month.
In a letter dated Thursday to interim city manager Marie Gelles, Mutchler, who has served as police chief seven years, wrote, “the past 13 years serving the community of Cuero have been some of the best years of my law enforcement career. I have made one of those heart-wrenching decisions. I am announcing my retirement as chief of police effective July 31, 2008.’
Mutchler, who has been with the CPD since 1995, said he is leaving “on his own terms.” He has been hired as a special investigator for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services and will be working out of the Victoria office.
“The investigations that stirred me the most during my career were those in which people mistreated kids,” said Mutchler. “I am excited about getting back to those type of investigations.”
In his letter Mutchler wrote about the goals and accomplishments during his tenure as chief.
“The crime rate has dropped from more than 400 reported crimes in 2000 to about 240 in 2007,” wrote Mutchler. “The Cuero Police Department has identified, investigated, and arrested more than 100 drug dealers and users and more than 50 gang members in the past five years. … There is still much work to be done, but there has been a positive impact and we have made great leaps in ensuring the safety of our community.”
DeWitt County Sheriff Jode Zavesky said he would “miss Mutchler.”
“One of the things we were able to do is mend some fences between our departments,” said the sheriff. “The cooperation between our departments has been outstanding the last few years. We’re both too small to do it all alone and he understood that. My hat’s off to Chief Mutchler and his department. I am proud of the Cuero Police Department’s efforts. I hope whoever comes in will continue that spirit of cooperation.”
Former Cuero mayor W.L. “Buzz” Edge also had high praise for Mutchler.
“I found Chief Mutchler to be very professional and ran a very good department,” said Edge. “I thought it was one of the better run departments in the city. They had many successes.”
Also in his letter Mutchler thanked the community, his officers and staff and several current and former city officials Notably missing from the letter were the names of the current mayor and former councilman Randy Saenz and current councilman Eric Pena, both who have been on the city council during Mutchler’s tenure as chief. Mutchler refused to comment on the omissions of their names. Mutchler is the second high-ranking Cuero official to retire in recent months. Corlis Riedesel retired as city manager the week following the May elections.
“The past 13 years serving the community of Cuero have been some of the best years of my law enforcement career,” concluded Mutchler in his letter. He and his family will continue to live in Cuero.
Sonny Long is a reporter for the Victoria Advocate. He can be reached at 361-580-6585, by e-mail at slong@vicad.com, or comment on this story at VictoriaAdvocate.com.