History was made in Houston as the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) held a swearing-in ceremony Friday for its new Police Chief, Ban Tien. His appointment makes Tien the first Asian American to lead the METRO Police Department.
The event was held Friday at 2 p.m., hosted by METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock and Mayor John Whitmire, celebrating Chief Tien’s arrival.
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Chief Tien joins METRO from the Houston Police Department, where he served as Executive Assistant Chief, becoming the first Asian American to hold that rank.
With a robust background that includes serving as a Special Agent for the United States Drug Enforcement Agency and 32 years in the United States Army and Army Reserve, Tien’s experience spans three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“This appointment reaffirms that METRO is no place for crime, and Chief Tien is the proven leader we need to safeguard the system,” said METRO Board Chair Elizabeth Gonzalez Brock. “The decision to entrust him with this role furthers Mayor John Whitmire’s mission of better coordination between MPD and HPD. This departmental alliance is a huge step forward for a safer Houston and a safer region.”
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Chief Tien succeeds Chief Vera Bumpers, METRO Police Department’s first female chief, who served since 2014 and was the first woman to be promoted through each rank in the department.
“It has been an honor to work alongside Chief Bumpers,” said Santiago Osorio, METRO Executive Vice President of Safety, Security, and Facilities. “We are grateful for her 43 years of dedicated service to the METRO Police Department and wish her the best in her next chapter.”