Department History

Establishment

The Glenn Heights Police Department’s roots coincide with the City’s incorporation in 1969. Joe Howard became the first leader of the City’s law enforcement agency with his designation as Town Marshall in October 1969. He served for six months before Douglas Curry was appointed in April 1970 as the Town Marshall. In May 1971 the Office of Town Marshall was abolished and the Glenn Heights Police Department was officially established.

Douglas Curry continued to serve and lead as the City’s first Chief of Police. During his term, Chief Curry oversaw the City’s initial purchase of police equipment, including radios and uniforms. Chief Curry's tenure as Police Chief ended in September 1973.

Successive Chiefs & Accomplishments

Chief Lawson Dyer, Jr. was sworn in as the City’s second Chief of Police in November 1973 and served until October 1976. During his term, Chief Dyer coordinated the City’s initial purchase of a fully equipped police vehicle and the appointment of the City’s first Municipal Court Judge, the Honorable Ike Vanden Eykel in June of 1976.

Chief John “Mike” Thornhill replaced Chief Dyer in October 1976 and served as the Chief of Police until April of 1983. In September 1978, additional responsibilities were given to Chief Thornhill as he became the City’s first Fire Chief. The first full-time police officer, Mike Dupree, was also hired during Chief Thornhill’s term.

After Chief Thornhill’s departure, Chief Larry G. Haney, Chief George E Spurgin, and Chief Robert K. “Bob” Adams, led the Department until May 1987, when Chief Carson D. Woodell was appointed and served until June 1989. During his tenure, Chief Woodell oversaw the implementation of the Department’s first computerized records system.

Chief George Cowand served November 1989 until March 1995 and Chief Roy M. Layman served from July 1995 until May 1999.

In July 1999, Chief Phillip M. Prasifka was appointed and served until August 2017.

In August 2017, Eddie Burns Sr., was appointed as Director of Public Safety and oversaw both the Police and Fire Departments.

In October 2019, Vernell Dooley was appointed as Chief of Police and served until October 2020.

In October 2020, Lucan Benson was appointed as Interim Chief of Police and served until August 2021.

In August 2021, Clayton Shields was appointed Interim Chief of Police and served until March 2022.

In October 2021, Keith Moore was named the Director of Public Safety and served until May 2023.

In May 2023, Nicol Bristow was named the Chief of Police and served until October 2024.

Current Chief

Dr. Glynell (Glyn) Horn Jr. was named the Chief of Police in March 2025 and brings over 25 years of law enforcement experience in patrol, investigations, management and training. He is a native of Houston, Texas, a dedicated law enforcement professional, and a public safety executive with over 20 years of progressive experience. Glynell began his career as a patrol officer with the Stafford Police Department and quickly rose through the ranks to become Assistant Chief of Police before transitioning to the Regional Transportation District Police Department, where he served as Chief of Police and Director of Emergency Management. In March of 2025, Glyn moved back to Texas after accepting the role of Chief of Police with the Glenn Heights Police Department.

Glyn recognizes that policing is, at its core, about serving the community by creating a sense of safety and security. His overarching community safety goals are rooted in crime prevention and reduction, organizational excellence, and citizen engagement and involvement. Furthermore, he is a strategic thinker who leads by influencing others, executing complex problems, and building strong relationships. His restorative approach to problem-solving and process improvement has yielded positive results, including a decrease in criminal activity, increased departmental buy-in for new policies and procedures, and reduced costs while maximizing resources.

As a firm believer in the importance of strong organizational culture, Glyn is committed to building transparent environments that promote employee development and inspire trust in leadership. His motto is "Productivity inspires credibility." He sets a positive example by embodying this ideal. Furthermore, he is dedicated to fostering employee success by enhancing training, offering professional development opportunities, establishing consistent evaluation processes, and soliciting input from both superiors and subordinates. He also drives success by delegating tasks that play into each individual’s strengths. Lastly, Glyn recognizes the power of mentoring, he views it as an essential component of leadership development and strives to provide high-quality mentorship to his team.

An achievement-oriented lifelong learner, Glyn recognizes the power of continued learning. He began his higher education journey by taking courses at Houston Community College immediately after finishing high school. He then attended the police academy at HCC’s northeast campus upon graduating from the University of Houston-Downtown with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. More than a decade later, he earned a Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University. Glyn also encourages colleagues to pursue education and has a demonstrated record of imparting its importance.

When he's not working to ensure public safety and build community connections, Glyn enjoys listening to audiobooks, traveling, and spending time with his family. He is an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Texas Police Chiefs Association, the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives, and the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas. He also volunteers with Meals on Wheels and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America.