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Chris Hill
| Policitics
Chris Hill recently announced his intent to seek the Republican nomination for Hopkins County Precinct 1 Constable in the March 2024 party primary election.
Hill is a Hopkins County native. Although born in Winnsboro, he was raised from birth in the Pine Forest community in the family home he now owns, where he worked on the family dairy. In fact, Hill said he has lived in Hopkins County for 49 of his 51 years.
After his family sold out of the dairy business in 1987, Hill worked many jobs in the automotive field until 1996, when he enrolled in the East Texas Police Academy. He said after riding with some officers at Sulphur Springs Police Department he knew his path forward would be in law enforcement.
Overall, Hill has more than 26 years of law enforcement experience he would bring to the position if elected Hopkins Couonty Precinct 1 Constable.
Hill began his full time law enforcement career at the Hopkins County Sheriff 's Office in 1997. He remained at HCSO until 2006, serving during that time as working under Sheriff Butch Adams. Hill remained at HCSO until 2006, as a patrol officer, on the SWAT, as emergency management and hazardous- materials coordinator. He finished out his time at HCSO as a corporal investigator over environmental investigations.
He left law enforcement completely for a short time, then jumped back in upon moving back to Hopkins County, working for Cumby Police Department. He also worked for Commerce Police and Paris. Then in 2014, Hill began working for Winnsboro Police Department until his resignation on Sept. 13, Hill ssrved as the captain at Winnsboro Police Department. While there, he served as a supervisor over the 'great' animal control division staff, who worked hard to get all animals adopted, reaching out to rescue groups from as far away as New Jersey.
Hill said one thing he'd like to do if elected Precinct 1 Constable is to use his knowledge, training and connections to help work on animal control issues. Hopkins County, to his knowledge, does not currently have animal control and he'd like to help develop a plan to deal for stay dogs in Hopkins County, using those contact to help. He includes among his training and honors achived being deputized by the United States Marshal's Service and serving on the East Texas Fugitive Task Force. He is a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement instructor, firearms instructor, mental health peace officer, and currently holds a master peace officer certification. He said he is trained in civil process, having provided those services at one time while employed previously in Hopkins County, and has even served as bailiff a few times.
Following the tragedy in Uvalde, Hill said he and other members of his leadership class mobilized and filled in in the city while the responding officers were on leave, pending the initial investigation.
'I look forward to being able to serve here at home. Hopkins County is home. It has always been my home, where my heart is,' Hill said.
One thing that is important to him, that he wants to focus on if elected constable, is the service part of the 'serve and protect' police motto. While there's been a lot of focus in latter years on 'protecting,' service for many has taken a back seat. He wants to focus on that, including listening to people and hearing their concerns and needs, offering advise where warranted.
Hill too said he'd like to start community programs to do service projects such as taking one Saturday a month and joining residents along county roads, helping to clean them of trash and debris. He'd pledge to be proactive in approaching problems before they occur, through community programs.
Hill is the son of the late Harold Hill of Pine Forest, and Charlie and Melba Sickles of Sulphur Springs.
He and wife Sharon Hill, a Registered Nurse employed at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital- Sulphur Springs in the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Unit, together have five children and seven grandchildren.