Posted by KPD January 24, 2023

We are pleased to announce the newest member of our department who officially started with us today- Officer Garyth Rawls.

Bio …

A Beaumont, Texas native, Officer Rawls is a graduate of Lamar State College and has an associate degree in Applied Business Science. Prior to becoming a police officer, Mr. Rawls worked in the chemical industry for a short time.

Officer Rawls has strong ties to the city of Kennedale where he currently resides with his family. His wife Brittany (Burks) is from Kennedale and her mother and father have lived in Kennedale their entire lives and own Billy Burks Roofing Company.

In December of 2019, Officer Rawls was hired as a police officer by the City of Duncanville and attended the North Texas Council of Governments (COG) Regional Police Academy. While in the academy, Mr. Rawls earned honors for marksmanship.

After graduation, Officer Rawls worked as a patrol officer for the City of Duncanville Police Department and received a number of commendations for his efforts.

These included successfully detaining seven fleeing armed suspects, the apprehension of a murder suspect, and a successful high-risk takedown of a dangerous drug dealer.

While serving as a patrol officer, Mr. Rawls also became certified in Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE). ARIDE is a nationally recognized program developed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with input from the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). ARIDE was created to address the gap in training between the Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and the Drug Evaluation and Classification (DEC/DRE) Program.

During the hiring process, his previous commanders and supervisors in Duncanville shared that they were losing a dedicated officer and Kennedale was fortunate to have him.

In coming to the Kennedale Police Department, Officer Rawls stated that he is “motivated to serve and protect the community he calls home“.

Welcome to the team Officer Rawls. We are glad you are here.