Chief Christopher Cook will leave the White Settlement Police Department on Aug. 31 to take an executive leadership position with the BNSF Railway Police Department, the city announced.
The BNSF Railway Police is a private railroad police force whose special agents have state-granted law enforcement authority and federal interstate powers, according to its website. They protect roughly 32,500 miles of track across 28 states, investigating crimes on railroad property, combating trespassing and cargo theft, and working with other agencies.
Cook, who also serves as the city’s director of public safety, will become a special agent in charge and director of special investigations and training for the railroad police agency.
He has led the White Settlement Police Department since April 2022. Cook previously worked for the Arlington Police Department, retiring as a deputy police chief before joining White Settlement. He has more than 30 years of law enforcement experience.
Cook, who was born and raised in White Settlement, said he and his family plan to remain in the city after he begins his new position.
“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity of a lifetime to have served as the chief of police for White Settlement,” Cook said in a statement. “Even though I am transitioning to a new role, my family and I plan to remain residents of White Settlement, stay active throughout the community and continue seeking opportunities to serve this great town.”
City Manager Jeffrey J. James said Cook was hired to increase community engagement, stabilize the department’s workforce and raise its profile across North Texas.
“Chief Cook has delivered above and beyond across those three mandates,” James said.
Mayor Faron Young credited Cook with bringing stability and innovation to the department after taking over during what he described as a period of uncertainty in 2022.
The city plans to announce details of a retirement ceremony and begin selecting interim and permanent leadership for the department in the coming weeks.