ROUND ROCK, Texas — Round Rock Police Chief Allen Banks knew he was going to be a police officer when he was in the third grade.
That childhood goal became a reality and Banks is still grateful for the more than 30 years he's served as a law enforcement officer.
"Just seeing the folks that we helped out and continue to help out, I will never be able to understand or see the magnitude of the lives I've helped," Banks said.
Banks is set to mark his 10th anniversary of leading the police department in Round Rock in March 2024. Banks, his department, and the city he serves have grown and changed quite a bit over the past decade.
Perhaps one of the biggest changes for his department has been the addition of the Public Safety Training Center. The facility opened back in 2018 and will undergo a big expansion soon thanks to a voter-approved bond in 2023.
Banks said it benefits the men and women in the police and fire departments but it also benefits the taxpayers of Round Rock.
"We don't spend the money sending them out to other cities to train," Banks said. "We can train them here and bring in national trainers to our police department and train our police officers."
Banks said that he's had many memorable days as the chief in Round Rock. Not all of the days are good. His toughest day was the day Officer Charles Whites was killed in the line of duty.
"For me, sitting there on his bedside and watching him take his last breath, that's family to me," Banks said. "Every single one of my employees is family to me ... So sitting there with his family and watching him take his last breath is probably the toughest day I've had as a police chief."
When he was hired back in 2014, Banks became the first Black police chief in the Austin area. He doesn't take that for granted but he's quick to point out that he's not the chief because of the color of his skin.
"The best day for me in the city of Round Rock has been the day that I was hired," Banks said. "I showed up here at the police department because they took a chance on me that they didn't have to."
Banks hopes that his career can serve as an example for young people and future officers.
"I want other kids that might look like me to say, you know what If Chief Banks can do it, then I certainly can do it," Banks said. "That's been my initiative ever since I've been here. To get into these neighborhoods and to talk to these kids and let them know my story and my testimony to say, if I can do it, you can do it as well."
Banks admits that the thought of retirement does cross his mind these days but he's also focused on keeping the Round Rock Police Department on the right track.
"I think for me, what the next few years hold for me is to make sure that I have somebody prepared and set to take my position," Banks said. "Ten years is a long time and, you know, I see down the road retirement coming. I want to make sure that this community feels comfortable with whoever is going to replace me."