New officer hired for Dublin PD

A new face has donned the Dublin Police Department uniform, though he is no stranger to Erath County.

Cody Cook is the latest officer hired by DPD and his experience includes working as an Erath County Correctional Officer and as a patrol deputy for the Erath County Sheriff’s Office for the past two years.

“We are proud to be able to attract qualified applicants such as Cody Cook. Officer Cook is a new resident of our community and is committed to the safety, security and service to our community,” Dublin Police Chief Cameron Ray said.

Though Cook chose the path of law enforcement, he comes from a family of firefighters – his dad works for the Dallas Fire Department and his uncle for Arlington Fire Department.

“Needless to say there is a lot of teasing that takes place in our family,” Cook said of his deviation from the family tradition.

Though Cook tried fire academy, he admitted it wasn’t for him and found his home when he went through police academy.

Cook found himself drawn to Dublin when he and his wife recently bought their first home together in town. The couple exchanged vows in November 2023 and have known each other since they were 12.

“She works at med/surg in Stephenville at the hospital,” he said.

“We are very excited to be a part of Dublin,” he said.

Cook said since the beginning that Dublin PD has made them feel like part of a family, an important aspect to both him and his wife since they come from large families.

“Dublin PD has really opened up to us and made us feel welcome. It makes you feel like you are a part of something,” he said. “I also love that Chief Ray will answers calls and do whatever is needed for the department.”

As far as law enforcement is concerned, Cook likes that police officers wear a lot of hats including serving as a marriage counselors or solving juvenile situations.

“I really like sports and have found that can help any situation when you can just talk to people to help diffuse the situation,” he said.

As a former correctional officer, Cook said he quickly learned how to talk to people to deescalate, and he is a firm believer that starting either in the jail or as a dispatcher can benefit police officers.

“Dispatch is our life line and I have a great deal of respect for them,” he said.

Cook hopes to one day be in investigations and that was an additional selling point for Dublin PD since they do get to help investigate their own calls sometimes.

For now, Cook is simply excited to get to work and his first day was Saturday, March 2. He will be going through FTO training for the next couple of months.