In January current Grand Prairie Police Chief Steve Dye, who has served in a dual role as Police Chief and Deputy City Manager for the past year, will retire from law enforcement after 35 years, eight of which has been with the Grand Prairie Police Department.
The Chief of Police position will be filled, in-house, by one of the current GPPD Assistant Chiefs. “We have worked hard together to establish a premier law enforcement agency in the country. We are in an advantageous position whereby any of our three Assistant Chiefs can take command and retain all the great things we are doing as they instill their leadership and direction to move GPPD into the future and lead us to even greater heights,” said Chief Dye back in September.
Here are the two finalists and no matter which candidate is selected to ultimately lead the department the city and it’s citizens are in great hands. Both candidates have a proven track record not only in policing but in our community as well. The new Chief will take over when Chief Dye retires, effective January 2020.
Assistant Chief of Police Christy Martinez
Photo Credit: Grand Prairie Police
Assistant Chief Martinez was born and raised in North Texas with strong and deeply rooted ties to the community. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology at the University of Texas at Arlington with Summa Cum Laude honors. She is actively pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Administration at Tarleton State University.
She began her law enforcement career with the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office where she served as a Detention Officer and Communications Specialist. Since 2004, she has been employed with the Grand Prairie Police Department (GPPD) and has proudly served in numerous assignments including patrol, property crimes investigations, child and sex crimes investigations, patrol sergeant, field training sergeant, property/financial crimes sergeant, and liaison on the Secret Service Task Force and Intellectual Property Crimes Task Force. As an Assistant Chief, she has served and led in the Special Operations and Field Operations Bureaus.
Chief Martinez is a graduate of the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration School of Police Supervision, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Command College, FBI-LEEDA Command and Executive Leadership Institute, and Police Executive Research Forum Senior Management Institute for Police, Class #76. She holds her Master Peace Officer and Basic Instructor Certifications. She is a member of the International Association Chiefs of Police, Texas Police Chiefs Association (TPCA), TPCA Midsized Agency Division, and North Texas Police Chiefs Association. She serves on the Lifeline Shelter for Families Board in Grand Prairie as a means to reduce homelessness among families of school children in crisis who are enrolled in the Grand Prairie Independent School District, by providing emergency assistance, temporary shelter, and life skills training for their parents. Additionally, Chief Martinez serves on the Texas Police Chiefs Association Women’s Police Executive Committee.
Fully devoted to the community policing philosophy, Chief Martinez promotes and supports intentional and integrated organizational strategies to address the reasons and ways to reduce the fear of crime through problem-solving tactics and established relationships with the community. Equally important to her is the physical, mental, emotional, and financial well-being of her Officers.
As a partner in many community offerings, Chief Martinez assists in organizing the Airbus Honor the Fallen Run in remembrance of our fallen officers, Cops and Kids Fishing, Cowboy Cops Rodeo, Special Olympics Torch Run and many others.
Chief Martinez and her husband will soon celebrate fifteen years of marriage and are the proud parents of a son and daughter.
Assistant Chief of Police Scesney
Photo Credit: Grand Prairie Police
Assistant Chief Scesney came to Texas in 1998 after serving his country in the United States Marine Corps as a Military Policeman. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia College and is scheduled to graduate in May with a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Texas Christian University. His career with the Grand Prairie Police Department began in 2001 during which time he has served in a variety of capacities including Patrol Officer, Directed Patrol Unit, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit as a team leader, Narcotics, Property Crimes, Domestic Crimes, Major Crimes (including both adult and child homicide investigations), Patrol Supervisor, and has commanded both the Special Operations and Investigative Services Bureaus as the Assistant Chief of Police.
Chief Scesney is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) Senior Management Institute for Police, Texas Christian University’s Leadership, Executive, and Administrative Development (LEAD) Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation-LEEDA Executive Leadership Institute, and the Institute for Law Enforcement Administration- School of Police Supervision. He holds his Master Peace Officer Certification and is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), Texas Police Chiefs Association, and the North Texas Police Chiefs Association.
Chief Scesney is committed to safeguarding children and proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Children First Counseling Center as well as the Child Advocacy Center of Texas Statewide Multi-Disciplinary Team both of which aim to make children whole again after abuse. He also teaches Ethics to all Grand Prairie Police recruits prior to their service to the community.
Chief Scesney has a career-long record of excellence including being the Honor Graduate from his Military Police Academy (Class 14-94), twice meritoriously promoted in the United States Marine Corps, Class President of the Basic Course in Applied Police Science (2001), Rookie of the Year (2003), Patrol Officer of the Year (2006), and Detective of the Year on three occasions (2010, 2013, 2015). He was also the recipient of the 2018 City of Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce Public Service Award, and the Distinguished Leadership Award from Texas Christian University in 2019.
Chief Scesney has two children and in his spare time enjoys coaching his daughter’s softball team, teaching his son to drive, and riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
