Walk into the office of Mercedes Police Chief Frank Sanchez and the usual array of accolades and photoswith colleagues and dignitaries are not featured on his workplace spaces.

The 36-year-old police chief sees his job title as anhonor and one he seeks to uphold daily with respect and care for the communityand his staff. Sanchez, the city’s police chief since late 2023, knows theleadership job he now occupies will someday be passed to another just as hesucceeded previous chiefs.

And so, rather than touting his honors and trainingcertificates, Sanchez would rather focus on connecting with the community withclarity and efficiency while leading the department in utilizing a servantstyle of leadership. It’s the kind of leadership where a leader’s primary goalis to serve others – be it a community, employees, or customers. Servantleadership prioritizes the growth and well-being of a team over wielding power.

It well describes Sanchez as he highlights his own growthand of those coming up in the department under his leadership and mentorship.

“I can’t be a great chief if I’m not a good person,” hesaid. “I’m trying to build a strong foundation here. What are we doing rightnow that can carry the city’s legacy forward?”

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Be Genuine With Community

Sanchez’s story in part is of a young man who worked hisway up the ladder in a police department, learning many jobs and soaking up thewords and guidance of mentors.

He came to the Mercedes PD in 2016 after a three-yearstint at the La Feria Police Department. Sanchez’s first job in Mercedes was asa patrol officer before moving up to work investigations and eventually gainingleadership jobs in patrols and investigative work. He rose to the rank oflieutenant, then assistant police chief before being named interim chief in2022.

Sanchez, a Donna native, was in his early 30s at the time.Mercedes had been through a series of chiefs inrecent years. Now, the mantle of leadership fell on the shoulders of a younginterim chief. Sanchez recalled feeling nervous but ready. A year into hisinterim duties, Sanchez was named to the chief in an official capacity inDecember 2023.

“By the time I got named chief, I felt assured,” he said.“I had a lot of confidence.”

For Sanchez, the confidence shown in him by the citymanager and the City Commission along with the support of his family and thecommunity bolstered his belief in taking a top leadership job years before mostcandidates are named police chiefs.

“I’m a great example of how you can achieve with age notplaying a factor,” he said. “The city’s leadership looked at me first as a personwho was working well with my team and how I was serving the community. I sawthe amount of support I was getting from my staff, and it was my job to putpeople in the right places.”

Sanchez oversees a staff of 42 employees which includesseven female officers. The chief stresses the need for timely updates asinvestigative work is being done on community concerns. When residents filereports with the police department, “they have a right to know where their caseis,” he said.

“Give them an answer,” Sanchez said, adding it might notbe what a resident wants to hear, but it will be a resolution reached after beingproperly investigated.

 Property crimes and complaints about speeding driversrushing through school zones and neighborhoods are amongst the concerns mostexpressed to the police department, he said. Whatever the concern cited, beinggenuine with people is a trait Sanchez wants his department to have, along withself-examination and reflection. The chief does so in the journals he keepsdaily that recap his days.

“In leadership and in servingcommunities, you have to make decisions,” he said. “You review what you did andlook back, ‘how did I make that decision and how did I handle it?’ ’’

It may be a case of being wise beyond his years with arecognition of always needing to learn more.

-         Ric Cavazos

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