City of Belton, TX

Chief Larry Berg

Public Service Steward

Leadership Rooted in Service

When I pin on my badge and fasten my duty belt each morning, I am reminded that leadership is not about rank—it is about responsibility. As the Chief of Police in Belton, Texas, I have the privilege of serving a community of approximately 25,000 people who trust us during their best and worst moments. That trust does not come with the uniform; it is something we earn every day through service.

I have often said that you must love those you serve. I began as a dispatcher, where I learned that a calm voice on the radio can change the outcome of a crisis before an officer even arrives. As a patrol officer, I discovered that every call is personal to someone. The broken window, the family dispute, the traffic crash, or the frightened child may seem routine after years of patrolling, but to the citizens calling for help, it is often the most difficult day of their lives. Those experiences shaped me long before I became a supervisor.

As a sergeant, I learned that leadership is not about having all the answers; it is about helping your people find them. As a lieutenant and later deputy chief, my focus shifted from individual calls to developing people, managing resources and preparing the organization for future challenges. Today, as chief, I find myself relying on lessons from every stage of that journey. Each assignment taught me that effective leadership begins with humility and grows through service.

Developing Leaders for Tomorrow

Faith has always been the compass that guides my service. Faith reminds me that leadership is stewardship. It teaches me that every person deserves dignity, respect and compassion, regardless of the circumstances that bring us together. My faith continually reminds me that leadership is about putting others ahead of yourself, making difficult decisions with integrity and remembering that every interaction leaves an impression. Those principles extend beyond the community and into the walls of our department. Employees deserve leaders who invest in their success. Training, mentoring and professional development are not simply line items in a budget—they are commitments to people.

“Public safety is strongest when relationships are built before they are tested.”

I believe the responsibility of any police chief is to prepare others to succeed long after we are gone. Often, organizations wait until a retirement announcement to think about succession planning. By then, it is too late. Leadership development begins on the first day of being an officer. Every experienced employee should be mentoring someone behind them. Every supervisor should be preparing future supervisors. Our responsibility is to develop leaders who will carry the mission forward with confidence and character.

Strengthening Culture through Care

Culture plays a critical role. A department’s culture is not defined by what is written in its policy manual. It is defined by the leaders’ model and what employees experience. Culture is built through trust, accountability, professionalism and genuine care for one another. It grows when people know they are valued for who they are. I have learned that culture spreads from the top, but it is sustained by everyone.

We must also recognize that law enforcement does not always emphasize personal wellness. The demands of this profession are significant. Officers face stress, trauma and difficult decisions daily. Leaders are no exception. Taking care of ourselves is not a luxury; it is a responsibility. Physical fitness, emotional resilience, healthy family relationships, spiritual growth and mental wellbeing all contribute to better decision-making and stronger service. We cannot pour into others if our own cup is empty. Still, no professional relationship is more important than the one we build with our community.

Belton’s citizens and business owners are more than the people we serve—they are our partners. Public safety is strongest when relationships are built before they are tested. That means attending community events, supporting local businesses, visiting schools, listening to concerns and being visible even when there is not a crisis to solve. When people know their police department cares about them as individuals, partnerships flourish. Those relationships become the foundation for safer neighborhoods, stronger businesses and a more connected community.

A Legacy Built on People

As I reflect on my career, I realize the badges and titles have never been the defining part of the journey. The defining moments have always involved people: a mentor who believed in me, an officer who grew into a leader, a citizen whose life was changed by a simple act of kindness, or a community that chose to place its trust in us. Those moments remind me why servant leadership matters.

At the end of our careers, few people will remember the number of arrests we made or the policies we implemented. They will remember how we treated people. They will remember whether we listened, whether we cared and whether we led with integrity. That is the legacy worth pursuing.