EDITORS NOTE: This story was edited to add clarification to the role of the new position and attribute to the 2023 Organizational Chart .
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) — On Friday, Amarillo City Council officials were presented with an operational flow chart by interim City Manager Andrew Freeman which contained a new position.
According to city officials, APD will see a change due to the flow chart as Amarillo Police Chief Martin Birkenfeld will be promoted to a newly created position as, “Managing Director of Public Safety.”
According to Mayor Cole Stanley, this position will oversee the Amarillo Police Department and the Amarillo Fire Department and according to the 2023 Organizational Chart, will also be over the Amarillo Area Office of Emergency Management, as well as the Amarillo Emergency Communications Center, which is an integrated communications center created in 2008, which is operated jointly by APD and AFD supervision.
Assistant Chief of Police Jimmy Johnson will assume the role of interim Police Chief until the Amarillo City Manager position search is complete.