Dr. G.M. Cox

G.M. Cox, a veteran chief of police of 34 years, brings the full spectrum of policing, managerial, and leadership experience to the role of leading a modern police agency. Overall, he has over 43 years of law enforcement experience starting as a law enforcement specialist in the United States Air Force. Upon his honorable separation from the USAF after 6 years of service, he entered Sam Houston State University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement and Police Science. He graduated Summa Cum Laude and Alpha Chi. 

G. M. became a patrol deputy for the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department (Texas) and was assigned to serve in the City of Oak Ridge North, Texas. After 18 months in this role, he was hired as the first chief of police for Oak Ridge North with only 30 days to create a fully functional and staffed law enforcement agency. Along with his education, his experience as an assistant shift supervisor, records manager and crime prevention specialist with the Air Force, G. M.’s patrol experience as a deputy made him uniquely qualified to head this city’s first police department. 

While performing duties as the chief of a small suburban police agency, G. M. earned his Master of Science degree from Sam Houston State University in Criminal Justice Management. His graduate paper, “Career Path Development in Small Law Enforcement Agencies” was published in the Texas Police Journal. This would prove to be the first of many articles published by G. M. in not only the Texas Police Journal, but also in the Texas Police Chief. 

G. M. served a short period as a city administrator and director of police services for Oak Ridge North before leaving for the Chief’s position in Lamesa, Texas. While there, G. M. attended the 165th Session (1991) of the FBI National Academy. He also started the long journey of achieving the coveted designation as a graduate of the Leadership Command College (LCC), Session #21 (1996) of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas. After leaving Lamesa, he found himself in the middle of a community in crisis as the Chief in Corsicana, Texas. While in Corsicana, he was instrumental in the creation of the motorcycle, bike, Neighborhood Policing, Crime Interdiction, K9, and mounted units. He also was the founder of the 100 Club of Corsicana-Navarro County and the Corsicana Crime Commission.

G.M. served as the President of the Texas Police Chiefs’ Association (2005-06) and was the first Chairman of the TPCA’s charity foundation. He served five years as the Texas Municipal League board member representing the TPCA. He was chosen as the Officer of the Year for 1996 and 1997 by the Navarro County Peace Officers’ Association. G. M. has also served as a board member of the YMCA in Corsicana and Chairman of both the Advisory Board for the Navarro College Regional Police Academy and Criminal Justice Curriculum committee.  

G. M. is also a court qualified mediator. He is a licensed law enforcement instructor and security inspector, with a Master Peace Officer certificate, issued by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. G. M. was also a senior active Rotarian in the Corsicana Rotary Club and a Paul Harris Fellow. Besides his law enforcement duties, he has been an adjunct faculty member of several colleges including Howard College, Navarro College, Texas A & M University – Commerce and The University of Texas at Arlington. 

G.M. is the immediate past-president of the Society of Police Futurist International (PFI) and current secretary. He is also the serving secretary of the Section on Public Administration Education (SPAE) of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA). He has presented scholarly papers and research at several institutions including the University of New York-Prague, in Prague, Czech Republic.

G. M. was admitted to the graduate school at the University of Texas-Arlington in the School of Urban and Public Affairs to pursue his Ph.D. in public administration. Dr. Cox graduated in 2011 with a Ph.D. in Public and Urban Administration. His dissertation, Crisis in Police Recruitment: Public Service Motivation and Changes in Generational Preferences was the basis for work he did with the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, LEMIT, in its Texas Police Chiefs Leadership Series and Command Leadership training programs, 2013 through 2015. In 2017 and ongoing, he prepared and has been presenting a training course for Texas Police Chiefs and Command Executive level officers in “Branding, Marketing, and Recruitment.” He is also working with the Leadership Command College, Module II, of the Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas, in the area of emerging issues in law enforcement and policing.

After almost seven (7) years as the Chief of Police with the City of Murphy, Chief Cox retired on July 1, 2015 and began his academic career as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Public Administration Program – Bachelor and Master Degrees -- with Tarleton State University. He primarily teaches out of the Fort Worth Campus of TSU.

Dr. Cox is an avid motorcyclist having ridden his Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles all over the USA. He has earned his “Iron Butt” recognition by having rode over 1,000 miles on a motorcycle in 24 hours or less. Besides his love of motorcycle riding, he is a recreational golfer and a voracious reader – fiction and non-fiction.