Cedar Park Names Chanse Thomas Interim Police Chief
Cedar Park’s posted command staff now lists Chanse Thomas as interim police chief after Mike Harmon retired Nov. 6 following 28 years with the department.
The City of Cedar Park now lists Chanse Thomas as interim chief of police, following the Nov. 6 retirement of Chief Mike Harmon after 28 years with the department.
The Police Department’s command staff page names Thomas “Interim Chief of Police.” His posted city biography uses the same interim-chief title at the top of the page. The biography text still also says, “He currently serves as the Support Services Bureau Commander.” Both wordings appear on the official pages as they were opened for this report.
Community Impact reported on Nov. 6 that Thomas stepped into the interim role that day. The same account called him assistant chief. The official command-staff and biography pages do not use that title for Thomas. No permanent chief has been named. Community Impact reported that no decision had been made on Harmon’s long-term replacement. An Oct. 5 city press release, issued when Harmon announced his retirement, said the city would “have time to thoughtfully consider next steps for the leadership of the Cedar Park Police Department, with additional information regarding the transition to be shared at a later date.”
What the city biography says about Thomas
The official biography says Thomas began his career with the Cedar Park Police Department in 2003. It lists his Support Services Bureau responsibilities as the Criminal Investigations Division, Dispatch, Records, Crime Analysis, Animal Control, Training, Community Services and Professional Standards.
It says he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in Strategic Leadership from Mountain State University. It also lists him as a graduate of the Leadership Command College at Sam Houston State University, the Senior Management Institute for Police and the FBI National Academy.
Harmon’s retirement
In a city press release dated Oct. 5, Cedar Park said Harmon would retire on Nov. 6, 2026, after serving the department since 1998. After 10 years in the department, the release said, he was appointed captain and led the Support Services and Operations bureaus. He was named assistant chief in 2013 and, on May 27, 2021, was selected to serve as chief of police.
The same release said Harmon would begin a new job as chief of police for Round Rock ISD on Nov. 9. City Manager Brenda Eivens said she and Harmon “built our careers alongside one another in this organization.” Harmon said serving Cedar Park for 28 years “has been one of the greatest privileges of my life” and that the decision was “bittersweet.”
Community Impact quoted Harmon saying of Thomas, “I knew from day one that he would be in that position. I have full confidence in [Thomas]. He will walk in Monday morning and continue everything that we’ve built over the years.” Thomas said Harmon “has been a steadfast leader” and “has always demonstrated his love for the community.”
The Police Department contact listing on the official biography and command-staff pages is 911 Quest Parkway, Cedar Park, Texas 78613, phone 512-260-4600. The city’s press-release pages list City Hall at 450 Cypress Creek Road, Cedar Park, Texas 78613, phone 512-401-5000.
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