A 23 year member of the College Station police department has been promoted to chief.

The appointment of Billy Couch was announced Thursday by interim city manager and former chief Jeff Capps.

Couch, who is a B/CS native who joined CSPD in 1997, will be leading 150 sworn officers and 80 other employees.

Couch was one of two finalists who were interviewed from a field of 41 applicants.

From the city of College Station:

Billy Couch has been named police chief for the City of College Station.

Couch is a 23-year veteran of the College Station Police Department and has served as assistant chief since 2013.

Interim City Manager Jeff Capps, who served as police chief 2009-2014, announced Chief Couch’s promotion to the Police Department and to the entire city organization on Thursday.

“Chief Couch has excelled in every position he's held, and we're looking forward to seeing what he and our police department will accomplish under his leadership,” Capps said. “Chief Couch clearly has a passion for our city and community, and he'll ensure College Station PD continues to work hand-in-hand with all who entrust us with their safety.”

Career CSPD timeline for Chief Couch:

Assistant Chief: 2013-2020
Patrol Lieutenant: 2009-2013
Patrol/Traffic Sergeant: 2008-2009
SWAT Team Member: 1999-2009
Narcotics Investigator: 2001-2007
Patrol Officer: 1997-2001

Career highlights for Chief Couch include creation of the full-time patrol unit at the Northgate Entertainment District, and securing the satellite police facility for that unit. He led the initiative of outfitting officers with body cameras, and was a key contributor to the design and construction of the department's new headquarters. Chief Couch also implemented an aggressive strategy for recruiting experienced officers to the department.