Leading State Police
William J. Bryant ('74) started his law enforcement career with the University Police Department at Sam Houston State University. After serving at the Huntsville Police Department reaching the rank of Lieutenant of the Criminal Investigation Division, he spent his career in the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), rising to Resident Agent in Charge in Little Rock, AR and Chief of the Office of Congressional Affairs in Washington, D.C.
In January, Bryant was tapped by Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Governor and former DEA Administrator, to serve as the Colonel in charge of the Arkansas State Police. Col. Bryant leads the statewide agency of nearly 1,000 commissioned troopers and civilian support staff, which is charged with patrolling the state’s highways and assisting local law enforcement agencies with available State Police resources.
Bryant credits Sam Houston State University with building a strong foundation for his law enforcement career through faculty such as Drs. George Beto and Raymond Teske, who is the godfather to his daughter, as well as experience under the late Chief Charles Tackett at the University Police Department.
Vol 17 No 29