Galveston, TX – The Galveston Police Department honored two longtime leaders who retired after a combined more than 42 years of service to the department and the Galveston community.
Lieutenant Xavier Hancock and Sergeant Herbert Graves officially retired from the Galveston Police Department on Sept. 4, concluding careers that included decades of law enforcement service in the city.
Hancock joined GPD on June 19, 2006, and spent 20 years with the department. During his career, he served in Patrol, Administration, Investigations and Crime Scene.
In addition to his police responsibilities, Hancock served the city as a member of the Galveston Health Board and Police Pension Board.
Hancock also continued his education while working in law enforcement, earning both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Texas A&M University. The department described him as a devoted husband and father who balanced his family responsibilities and education with a two-decade career in policing.
Graves joined the Galveston Police Department on Jan. 19, 2004, and spent more than 22 years serving the city where he was born and raised.
During his time as a patrol officer, Graves developed a reputation as a skilled investigator with extensive knowledge of Galveston and its residents. According to the department, he was known for developing information, locating suspects and finding investigative leads.
After being promoted to sergeant, Graves led the department’s Vice and Narcotics Unit for many years.
In that role, Graves’ investigative experience and knowledge contributed to numerous investigations involving illegal drugs in Galveston. The department credited his work with helping remove significant quantities of illegal narcotics from the city’s streets.
Beyond his work with GPD, Graves was also a husband and father of three children. The department recognized that his family shared him with the police department and the Galveston community throughout his more than two decades of service.
Although Hancock and Graves worked in different areas of the department and brought different skills to their positions, GPD said both shared a commitment to serving Galveston.
The department credited the two retiring leaders with bringing experience, leadership and dedication to their careers and said their presence would be missed throughout GPD.
The Galveston Police Department congratulated Hancock and Graves on their retirements and thanked both officers, as well as their families, for the sacrifices made throughout their careers.
Both retirements mark the end of more than four decades of combined service to Galveston, with Hancock completing a 20-year career and Graves finishing more than 22 years with the department.
