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For 10 years, Bobby Myers has worked the graveyard shift as a Port Arthur Police Department patrol officer.

“I’ve always been a graveyard kind of person, working everything from the plants to scaffold buildings to working in nightclubs and bartending, that sort of thing,” Myers said, adding substitute teaching to his verbal résumé. “I’ve kind of worn a lot of different hats.”

Earlier this week, the 1994 Vidor High School graduate was promoted to another hat — sergeant.

Deputy Chief John Owens said during a promotion ceremony for Myers at city hall that becoming a sergeant is not an achievement everyone in law enforcement makes.

“A first-time officer is part of management,” he said. “There are so many sergeants who want to say here’s what to do and then jump in and do it themselves. You have to learn to separate yourself.”

Myers will use his new role, as Owens suggested, to cultivate relationships with residents and businesspersons alike in the city. Owens considers it an act of community policing.

It’s something Myers has taken pride in since he joined the force March 22, 2010.

“I’ve always been big [on forming relationships], not so much as a rookie because you’re focused on learning the job itself, but as I grew as an officer, the more I realized how important it was to speak with community members as a whole, especially business members, and those serving the community themselves and build strong relationships,” he said. “I plan to go forward and continue doing that.”

Myers grew up with what he calls a strong sense of justice, but it took him time to “make the leap” into law enforcement.

“Late bloomer, I guess,” he said. “But once opportunity presented itself, I jumped in with both feet and I’ve been running ever since.”

Now, Myers has a title that he’s worked toward for quite some time.

“This gives me a better opportunity to serve the citizens in a new capacity, and I hope I can live up to the challenge of the new role,” he said.

New hire introduced,
citizen commended

During the ceremony, Port Arthur native Diana Sanchez was introduced as a police aide in the support division, and citizen Jermell Wright was presented with a certificate of appreciation from Officer Isaiah Seltzer for assisting him with an arrest Dec. 8.

The suspect became combative and continued to refused transport before he was placed on the ground. As Seltzer struggled with the suspect, Wright drove up and came to his aid by lifting the suspect off the ground and carrying him to the officer’s patrol unit. As the suspect continued to fight with Seltzer, Wright placed the suspect halfway into the patrol unit and held him as Seltzer went to the opposite side of the vehicle to place the suspect completely in the vehicle.

“I just want you know, we are hiring,” Police Chief Tim Duriso told Wright.