Upon the retirement of their longtime Police Chief David Merritt, the City of Ganado didn’t have to look far for his successor. Deciding to hire from within the three-man department, they named Officer Nathan Besler as the new Chief.
Besler has been a patrol officer with the Ganado Police Department since 2021. He started his law enforcement career in 2018 with the Edna Police Department.
Besler said that although he is young compared to most Chiefs of Police, he is prepared and excited to lead the Ganado P.D.
“I’ve been able to gain a bunch of good resources that I can go to,” he said, “because everything I don’t know, I know somebody who does.”
Among his top goals as Chief, Besler said he hopes to work on community involvement and relationships. The department has done some social media engagement before, which he plans to continue and do more of, as well as having more of a presence at community events like the Crawfish Festival and others. Another main focus for the department will be Ganado ISD.
Nathan Besler
“In a small town like this, if you don’t have a school, you don’t have anything,” he said. “Our community, in a sense, revolves around the school, so I would definitely like to build more relationships with the school.”
On top of looking forward, Besler is learning the ropes of being in a more administrative role, and appreciating what Chief Merritt did on a daily basis.
“I’ve got to give Dave props,” he said. “I never realized how much he had to do until I was put in this position.”
Besler lives in Edna with his wife and two children, one of whom will start kindergarten at Ganado ISD next year.
