News for North Texas
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Chief Doug Shoemaker seeks new job in Nebraska, citing ‘family changes’

Chief of Police Doug Shoemaker speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Denton Police Department's new South Substation in April. Shoemaker’s last day as chief in Denton is March 2.
File photo by Maria Crane
/
For the DRC
Chief of Police Doug Shoemaker speaks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Denton Police Department's new South Substation in April. Shoemaker’s last day as chief in Denton is March 2.

Denton’s outgoing police chief, Doug Shoemaker, has been named a finalist for a chief position at a Nebraska agency.

The city of La Vista, Nebraska, announced in a news release that Shoemaker was among three candidates named as finalists for its chief of police and director of public safety.

After Shoemaker’s 16 months of service in Denton, city staff were informed Feb. 13 that he would be taking leave until his last day on March 2.

Shoemaker's reason for leaving Denton is personnel-related and therefore confidential, spokesperson Dustin Sternbeck told the Denton Record-Chronicle.

La Vista held a community forum, which was livestreamed, for the finalists on Thursday.

"Some family changes happened ... I have family in Kansas City, and I wanted to get closer back this way to the Midwest," Shoemaker said. "I ended up in Denton, Texas. Now, I have a grandbaby on the way in Kansas City, our first, and we're super excited about that."