A word from our new chief of police

Glen Fowler
Chief of Police
Methodist Health System 

I’ve only been at Methodist Health System since January. But I already know how fortunate I am to be here. Methodist has already shown me how dedicated they are to taking care of their patients, taking care of their staff, and ensuring that we take care of ourselves.

I’ve known that I wanted to be a police officer since I was about 7 or 8 years old. I admired the people in the sheriff’s department in the small town I lived in and thought, “I’d like to do that when I get older.”

How I landed at Methodist

As an adult, I’ve worked in municipal police departments, but I really enjoyed being the chief of police in another hospital district in Texas. So when my family decided to relocate to North Texas, I looked for a great organization where I could do the same kind of work. I knew about Methodist’s reputation for providing excellent healthcare and being one of the best employers in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. And I knew that Methodist is a Military Friendly® employer. That was a big bonus for me as one who has served in the Texas Military Forces. I was extremely blessed to have the opportunity to join Methodist.

My service philosophy

As chief of police with around 110 employees, my overall goal is to provide excellent service. I want people to think, “Wow, that officer went above and beyond, and I’ve never seen that before.” My officers are always ready to turn someone’s bad day into a good day. That makes my job rewarding.

Protecting each other

Law enforcement can be a dangerous job. I feel like our officers’ families are lending their loved ones to us, and it’s our responsibility to do our best to take care of them while they’re with us.

Fortunately, I work with some great managers both in the police department and on the civilian side. When you’re leading a group of supervisors who care about their employees, it makes your job a whole lot easier. We all know that if you treat your employees right, they’re going to do a better job with less stress.

Being a family

One of the things that surprised me about joining Methodist is how much it feels like an extended family. Even the hospitals support one another. Although they’re spread out among different communities, they treat each other like family. I think that’s tremendous in such a large organization.

Our officers do an exceptional job of taking care of each other. It is not unusual to see them willing to trade shifts or cover open shifts to ensure that their fellow officers are safe and able to take a day off when needed. They say that it feels as if all the staff members, patients, and their families are part of the officer’s own extended family. Because of this, that’s how our officers treat everyone.

Working in healthcare is quite different than being in a municipal police department. Officers say that they have learned to be more patient because they’re often dealing with people who are in crisis. They have to be able to de-escalate situations and show empathy.

Diversity is our strength

One reason we are good at being empathetic is the diversity of our employees. It’s our most important asset. In the police department, we have people from all walks of life and very diverse backgrounds. I believe that the differences in people are what bring us together. A workforce with diversity helps you see the amazing things each person has to offer.

For anyone interested in joining the police department at Methodist, I always say that the number one thing we look for is an individual with integrity. You’ve got to have integrity to be trusted by your co-workers, citizens, judges, and juries. If you’re someone who values integrity, Methodist is an outstanding place to work. You won’t be just a badge number. You’ll be part of a family.

If you’re looking for an organization that treats employees like family and does its best to keep everyone safe, look at Methodist Health System. Visit us at Jobs.MethodistHealthSystem.org.

© Methodist Health System

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