The City of DeKalb Mayor Lowell Walker provided the Tribune with an advance press release in regards to the hiring of a new Police Chief and requested that we include the announcement in our Wednesday, July 9, 2025 edition of the newspaper.  The announcement was to come at the Tuesday night meeting of the DeKalb City Council. The announcement was not made at the Tuesday night meeting of the city council, but the city has reached an agreement with a new chief and is working towards a new police force for the city.

Walker told the Tribune about the agreement with new chief Christopher Phelps and stated, “Christopher Phelps will be joining De Kalb police force on August 1.  He has 29 years of law enforcement experience with 18 years of supervisory experience and serves as an instructor at the Texarkana Police Academy.  Currently he serves with the Texarkana Texas Police Department where he was awarded the Medal of Valor. De Kalb is lucky to have officer Phelps lead the city’s police force.”

Phelps will take the role of chief on August 1, filling the vacant position left after Chris Atkinson resigned in mid-June.

Lt. Alexander Norman tendered his resignation the day after Atkinson which left the city with only two officers on staff. Constables Chad Ford and Dillion Gardner as well as the Bowie County Sheriff’s Office agreed to assist in filling the void left by the vacancies.

The city has budgeted for six positions at the police department. They are reviewing applicants to fill the three remaining positions, Walker said.

Mayor Walker apologized to the Tribune on Wednesday for the failure to announce the hiring at Tuesday night’s meeting.