The city of Kennedale was founded in 1882. It was located along what was then the Texas Central Railroad line (now Union Pacific) out of Fort Worth. In its early days Kennedale was noted for the mineral water that came from wells in the area. {{more:[Read more]}}By 1888, the city had 300 residents and was home to a number of businesses including a brickyard that operated well into the 20th century.
Kennedale incorporated as a city in 1947, adopting a home rule charter in 1997. The current population is approximately 7,200 residents.
The police department was officially created in 1950. Prior to that time, Frank Bedford served as a city marshal and patrolled on his personal motorcycle. The city has had 18 police chiefs in its history, with one chief (Karl Halverson) serving multiple times as chief. The current chief is Tommy Williams, serving since 2006.
In 2013 Kennedale and Mansfield combined resources to create south Tarrant County’s first regional dispatch center.
The Kennedale Police Department is a Recognize Police Department, first earning the award in 2012.
The department currently operates out of a 10,000 square foot facility. The facility was opened in 1990. Staffing consists of 19 sworn officers and eight non-sworn support staff servicing a city of approximately 7 square miles. Kennedale provides an annual operating budget of $1.7 million for the police department. (Note: these figures may not reflect the current year budget expenditures and staffing).
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Historical Society. Follow on Kennedale
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