Fairfield’s new Chief of Police, Albert Gallegos, says he wants the public to actually know him – “not to be just a photo in the paper with the weekly PD Report.”
“I promise to be transparent, to hold officers to high standards, put citizens first because they deserve the best quality service, and to always be available to everyone,” said Chief Gallegos.
As the new leadership settles in at Fairfield Police Department, The ‘Times’ has had the opportunity to sit down and visit with Chief Gallegos to learn more about his background and the goals he has for the department.
We would also like to introduce the public to the department’s leaders and officers; therefore, this will be the first of a four-part article series.
Chief Gallegos is very personable and encourages the public to refer to him as Chief Gallegos or simply as Albert.
He was born in 1980 to Albert and Teresa Gallegos, attended Fairfield schools, and graduated from FHS in 1998.
Albert is the older brother of Martin Gallegos, who is married with four children, and Elena (Gallegos) Freeburger, who is married with one child.
He grew up in school with his wife Stacy (Long) Gallegos, married in 2004 and together they have two beautiful daughters, Abi who is 19 and in college, and Ava who is 15 and in high school.
Albert attended Navarro College from 1998-2000 and is in the process of going back to college to obtain his degree in either Criminal Justice or Public Administration.
He attended the Navarro College Police Academy in 2005 and has been a police officer for the past 20 years.
In April of 2009 Albert began his career at Fairfield Police Department as a patrol officer, and in 2019 he was promoted to Sergeant and to Assistant Chief of Police in 2022.
When previous Chief of Police Utsey retired at the end of November 2025, Albert was appointed as the Interim Chief of Police and on February 10, 2026, was named the new Chief.
When asked what made him choose policing as a career Albert explained, “When I became a teenager, policing really started to interest me. I remember seeing the Fairfield Officers, Freestone County Sheriff’s Deputies, and State Troopers in town. I was always interested and fascinated by what they were doing. I thought they were awesome and so well respected.”
He said, “Being named as Chief of Police is a dream come true. This is something that I worked hard for. I cannot express to you how honored I am to serve the city and our officers.”
The biggest challenge he sees as a new Chief is balancing the evolving expectations of the community with the needs of the department. “It doesn’t matter if you reside in a small, medium, or large city, law enforcement today faces increased scrutiny, staffing challenges, and changing public safety concerns,” he said. “Since beginning my career things have changed so much. My responsibility is to ensure we improve and maintain transparency and continue to build trust with our citizens.”
Albert continued, “I want the officers to be well trained and invest in them so they can perform the job at the highest level. Being a leader is listening to the community and our personnel; making thoughtful decisions that strengthen our relationships and everyday operations. We may not always agree, but we can have respectful discussions. My focus will be on accountability, officer wellness, community policing, and proactive crime prevention to ensure we continue moving forward together.”
In addition to the required education (Command Leadership) at the Bill Blackwood Criminal Justice Center at Sam Houston, Albert has taken it upon himself to further his knowledge by attending FBI Leadership Courses that included Executive Leadership, Command Leadership, and DPS – Supervisor Leadership. In these courses he received the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association Trilogy Award.
He is also a graduate of Texas Police Chief’s Association Developing Leaders for Law Enforcement and sits on the Navarro College Police Academy’s advisory board.
If you see Albert out and about town, be sure to say hello and introduce yourself, that is if you don’t already know him.
Next week, we will introduce you to the new Assistant Chief of Police, Harold Markham.
