Joshua Cousins, 40 under 40

Joshua Cousins

Assistant Chief of Police, Dallas Fort Worth Airport Police, Texas

ASSISTANT CHIEF JOSHUA COUSINS began his career in law enforcement in 2010, following years of faithful service in the U.S. Army. During his police career, he’s served in a wide swath of roles, including field training officer, a sergeant overseeing corrections, and lieutenant for numerous sections. As he has progressed through the ranks, Asst. Chief Cousins has proven himself to be a leading professional in airport policing, contributing to several academic research programs, including the Program for Applied Research in Aviation Security (PARAS) and the Center for Homeland Defense and Security (CHDS) He has also leveraged the knowledge he acquired attaining his master’s degree in security studies from the Naval Postgraduate School by creating a one-of-a-kind counterterrorism Combined Officer Broad Response Action Team (COBRA.) The team brings together Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) Airport police officers with airport security, federal TSA officers, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents under one umbrella to provide a unique and highly visible officer presence for over 70 million passengers traveling through DFW Airport each year.

Asst. Chief Cousins’ leadership traits and intellect lead him to often consider progressive approaches to policing. Last year, he was selected to lead the department’s SWAT and Traffic teams, which were in desperate need of leadership and a sense of direction. Asst. Chief Cousins took on the challenge with a positive methodology and implemented a system that compelled leaders to lead by example, while also holding all team members accountable. Due to his innate ability to lead and work well with others and his emphasis on teamwork, the SWAT and Traffic teams are now striving to develop into two of the department’s highest performing teams.

“The challenge of actively finding solutions motivates me to put on the uniform and come to work each day.”

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