New Police Chief Takes the Reins in Amarillo.

AMARILLO -- The Amarillo Police Department has a new chief. Next month, Colonel Robert Taylor will take over. Taylor hopes to add about eight more officers to the COPPS Program. Of course itll take a few years to make the changes but the majority of those men and women will be dedicated to north Amarillo. Colonel Taylor first became a part of the department in nineteen-eighty as a patrolman. Hes a Palo Duro High School graduate, and continues to live in north Amarillo. City Manager Allan Taylor made the final decision today and he says it wasnt easy. Assistant Chief Perry Gilmore was also a candidate for the job. "Im genuinely interested in improving our police department and i dont think we can do that without knowing what the citizens expect out of us and so thats my goal to open that line of communication," says Taylor. Once he takes over, Taylor plans to meet with neighborhood leaders across Amarillo. The official change of power doesnt happen until April first. In the meantime, as Assistant Chief, Taylors responsible for about a hundred-eighty uniform officers and about fifty detectives. He also wants everybody to know that the style of how police do their work will not change.