Plano Assistant Chief Dan Curtis Retires After More Than 35 Years

Assistant Chief Dan Curtis, a fixture at the Plano Police Department since October 1990, announced his retirement on Jan. 26, 2026, bringing to a close a career that began in other North Texas agencies and stretched more than 35 years with Plano. Curtis’s departure removes one of the department’s longest-serving leaders and launches a planned leadership transition that will shape how the department serves Collin County residents.

Dan Curtis joined the Plano department in October 1990 after earlier service in other law enforcement agencies across North Texas. Over more than three decades with Plano, Curtis advanced into senior leadership and played a role in shaping the department’s operations, training and community engagement. The announcement highlighted his extensive experience and long tenure as central to the department’s institutional knowledge.

The Plano Police Department outlined next steps for its leadership transition and provided background context on senior staff as part of the retirement process. Department leaders emphasized that the transition will be managed through established internal procedures and that senior commanders will provide continuity while leadership changes proceed. The move aims to maintain steady day-to-day operations across patrol, investigations and community policing units that residents rely on for public safety.

Curtis’s retirement carries practical implications for Plano neighborhoods and Collin County partners. Long-serving commanders often hold key relationships with municipal officials, school districts and neighboring agencies, and Curtis’s exit will require reaffirming those partnerships. For officers inside the department, an opening at the assistant chief level typically triggers internal promotion opportunities and potential shifts in assignments and responsibilities, affecting morale and career paths.

For residents, the chief concern will be service continuity. Plano Police Department leadership has signaled that patrol coverage, emergency response protocols and collaborative programs with Collin County agencies will continue without interruption. Expect announcements from the department in the coming weeks about interim command assignments and timelines for filling the assistant chief vacancy.

Dan Curtis’s retirement marks a generational transition for Plano’s public safety leadership. The department’s emphasis on a structured handoff and the experience among its senior staff aim to preserve stability for residents and partners. As the transition unfolds, Plano citizens can watch for departmental updates on leadership appointments and any changes to community policing initiatives that affect neighborhoods across Collin County.