The City of Fort Stockton announced on Tuesday that Ernesto “Net” Velasquez has been selected as the Interim Police Chief for the Fort Stockton Police Department with the effective date of Jan. 10, 2023.

Velasquez began his tenure with the Fort Stockton Police Department as an assistant chief on Nov. 18, 2019 following service in the United States Army and as a Texas State Trooper.

“Net’s very knowledgeable in all aspects of law enforcement. All the way from narcotics to patrol operations and community police.” said Frank Rodriguez, Fort Stockton City Manager. “He knows the operation, the staff, the city. That’s a positive aspect for the department.”

Velasquez takes over the role following Robert Lujan’s 39-month stint as police chief in Fort Stockton.

Lujan, who served in law enforcement for the past 33 years, informed the city of his decision to step down on Tuesday.

The former police chief quoted Timothy 4:7 when speaking about his departure from the FSPD.

“I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful,” he said.

Lujan was hired in October of 2019 after he retired from The Texas Department of Public Safety as Lieutenant following 29 years of service.

Rodriguez noted his appreciation for Lujan and his service to the city.

“His 33 years of experience and his enthusiasm played a vital role in the recruiting and developing of police professionals that are patrolling your streets today,” he said. “He was also instrumental in reorganizing and overseeing the move of the 911 dispatch center from Third Street to the current police department.”

Moving forward Rodriguez expressed his confidence in Velasquez, stating that he will retain the police chief position for the foreseeable future.

“Based on what he’s done in the past, meaning the assistant chief, he’s been on point, he’s been engaged and involved. In other words, I feel very confident in him resuming the role and continuing to improve the department.”

Velasquez and Rodriguez’s analysis of the department will play a large role in how the FSPD evolves in the future.

The city manager mentioned the likelihood of hiring an assistant chief under Velasquez in the near future.

“That will be something down the road. It’s all evolving in terms of what does “Net” want to do. How is everything going to unfold? Historically, we’ve always went with the lead of what the department was wanting,” Rodriguez explained. “For the size of the department, which is not a lot of officers, but the size of the community and the crime rate, we need some administrators that can handle different facets of the police department.”

Ernesto “Net” Velasquez Bio

Chief Velasquez’s law enforcement experience and career began as a Texas State Trooper, where he worked his way up to the rank of a Narcotics Sergeant/ DEA Task Force Officer while assigned to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Velasquez has an extensive background in short and long-term criminal investigations. He has led multi agency investigations by developing working relationships with local, state and federal agencies.

Velasquez also served as the investigator for the Pecos County Attorney’s office.

Velasquez attended Texas State University in San Marcos and studied criminal justice. He has

the following accreditations and licensing; Master Peace Officer License, Narcotics Investigator, Accident Investigator Level II, Field Sobriety Practitioner, Field Training Officer, Defensive Driving Instructor, Raid Entry Instructor, Chief Velasquez is also a veteran of the United States Army where he served as an Army Ranger and assigned to the 75th Ranger regiment and United States Special Operations Command.