Jessica Robledo Officially Sworn In As Pflugerville Police Chief

PFLUGERVILLE, TX — Jessica Robledo was officially sworn in as the city's police chief during the city council meeting on Tuesday, ascending a law enforcement trailblazer to the highest rank at the Pflugerville Police Department.

Robledo's 28-plus years of public service includes 13 years in an the executive-level ranks of the Austin Police Department, where she served as the only female assistant chief of the department. In a bio provided by the city, Robledo has long promoted the use of data-driven techniques to assist in developing and supporting departmental efforts.

Robledo also places a premium on community policing, and has promoted outreach efforts with numerous organizations as key to building bridges with law enforcement.

The high regard with which she's held by peers was in full display in January when former Austin Chief of Police Art Acevedo made a special trip to Pflugerville from Houston (where he recently moved after accepting the job of police chief there) for a special pinning ceremony when she Robledo was tapped as interim police chief.

At Tuesday's meeting, more evidence of the high esteem others have came in the form of her unanimous approval by council members who touted Robledo's strong work ethic and indefatigable drive.

As interim police chief before her unanimous approval to lead the rank and file of her department, Robledo was no mere figurehead. In January, she took decisive action overhauling the department in shifting each member of the command staff to other oversight areas in an effort to shake them out of their comfort zones. The reassignments took into account each command staff member's strengths and weaknesses into account and moving them accordingly.

Robledo earned a bachelor's of science in physical education degree from Angelo State University. Additional licenses and training include the FBI National Academy; Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP); Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Officer Standards and Education (TCOLE) and Police Executive Leadership Institute (PELI) October 2015 for a third session.

Community-based policing is a thread running through the numerous awards and accolades Robledo has garnererd, including the Champion for Children award in October 2016; Greater SW Optimist Club Respect for Law Award; Make a Difference Award from the Junior league of Austin; and Service Above Self Award from Rotary Club of Austin.

Among her notable achievements is Robledo's partnering with Helping Hands for Children foster home and developed the first law enforcement foster home mentorship program, called Blue Guardian, in August 2015. In addition, her involvement in the Educa Austin campaign to reach Spanish-speaking citizens and educating them about the community helped to bridge the gap between police and the Spanish-speaking community.

>>> Photos via City of Pflugerville