Chief Mike Holguin has worked in the field of law enforcement for over 28 years, serving with the Dallas Police Department, the Arlington Police Department, the University of Texas System Police, and as a Reserve Police Officer with the City of Kennedale from 2017 until his appointment to the full-time position of Police Captain in August of 2021. Mr. Holguin was promoted to Chief of Police in July of 2022. After initially retiring from full-time law enforcement in 2017, Mr. Holguin also became a state certified teacher and taught criminal justice in public school from 2017 until 2020. Prior to becoming the Chief for the Kennedale Police Department, Mr. Holguin also served as the Director of Health, Safety, and Security for the Kennedale Independent School District from January of 2020 until August of 2021.
Mr. Holguin has held several positions and ranks throughout his law enforcement career. These include crime prevention officer, police sergeant, police commander, and Assistant and Acting Chief of Police, in addition to his present position. He has overseen units and operations to include specialized crime response teams, accident investigations, personnel and recruiting, criminal investigations, and the Arlington Police Department’s Special Investigations Division. While an Assistant Chief with the University of Texas at Arlington Police Department, Mr. Holguin oversaw the Special Services Division which included the public information office, special events, personnel and hiring, training, internal affairs, parking and transportation, and technology. Some of Mr. Holguin’s career highlights include helping to design the first police station for the University of Texas at Brownsville, specialized assignments as an operational and incident commander to include an operation at Super Bowl XLV hosted by the City of Arlington, collaborating with the WNBA regarding safety and security measures for the Dallas Wings, and being an academy instructor.
Chief Holguin has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, a master’s degree from Texas Christian University, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Amberton University. He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Homeland Security through Liberty University. He is a graduate of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas Leadership Command College (LEMIT - LCC) and the FBI Command Institute for Law Enforcement Executives. In 2023, Chief Holguin completed the prestigious FBI-LEEDA Trilogy.
Chief Holguin is a member of the LCC-LEMIT Alumni Association, the Texas Police Chiefs Association, the North Texas Police Chiefs Association, the Texas Association of Municipal Information Officers (TAMIO), the International Chiefs of Police (IACP), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). Chief Holguin also chairs the Tri-County Auto Burglary and Theft Prevention Board of Governors in cooperation with member agencies from Tarrant, Ellis, and Johnson counties.
His service awards include the Police Officer’s Award for Bravery, the Community Service Award, and the U.T. System Award of Excellence. In 2023, Chief Holguin was presented the Mentorship Award by the City of Kennedale. Chief Holguin is also a Texas Master Peace Officer.
Mr. Holguin has been married for over 20 years and has two sons; one attends Texas Christian University, and the other is a junior in high school.