Ed Royce Named East Helena Police Chief, Aims to Grow Six-Officer Department

Ed Royce took command of the East Helena Police Department on Jan. 21, 2026, stepping into the role after Chief Mike Sanders retired at the end of 2025. Royce, a department deputy since 2023, inherits a six-officer force and has made expanding that roster a stated priority as the city grows.

City leaders framed the promotion as the result of a deliberate selection process. Mayor Kelly Harris provided brief remarks on the approach city officials used to evaluate candidates, stressing continuity and community needs in the choice. Royce has said he is honored to lead and intends to focus on recruiting new officers while maintaining the department’s community policing practices established under Sanders.

Royce brings a nontraditional résumé to the chief’s office. Before entering law enforcement, Royce worked in landscaping and served as a coach, and he has pursued formal education that supported his move into policing. Those experiences inform his emphasis on relationships with residents, families and youth as central elements of public safety strategy in East Helena.

The immediate practical concern for residents is staffing. With six sworn officers, East Helena’s department operates at a scale that limits specialized units and shifts the balance between response duties and proactive community engagement. Royce’s plan to recruit additional officers signals an effort to reduce response strain, expand outreach to families and youth, and sustain the one-on-one neighborhood contacts many residents value.

Community policing will remain a touchstone. Royce indicated he plans to continue many of Sanders’ approaches to building local trust, combining patrol presence with relationship-building activities. For a county seat and its surrounding communities, that continuity matters because it influences school safety partnerships, youth programs and coordination with Lewis and Clark County agencies on larger incidents.

For taxpayers and community groups, the chief’s priorities mean the municipal budget and hiring timelines will be important to watch. Recruitment will require outreach to candidates who can work in a small-city environment and commit to resident-centered policing. Royce’s background in coaching and community work suggests a focus on prevention as well as enforcement.

As East Helena adapts to growth pressures, Ed Royce’s leadership will shape how the city balances day-to-day policing with long-term community investment. Residents can expect to see recruitment drives and expanded outreach in coming months as Royce builds toward a larger department and seeks to preserve the local, neighborhood-oriented policing that has defined East Helena in recent years.