Sgt. Kyle Caudle
Texarkana Arkansas Police Department
Sgt. Kyle Caudle has worked in the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department’s narcotics division for nine years. He originally decided to go into law enforcement to help and protect others. “I wanted a career that provided an opportunity to make a positive difference in the community. The most rewarding part of my job is helping others, both citizens and my coworkers. The most challenging part of my job is answering calls that have adverse outcomes involving children,” Sgt. Caudle says. “The only thing that helps overcome the negative aspect of these calls is the opportunity to be a positive role model and develop relationships with children in our community. What motivates me on tough days is knowing that I can still make a difference.”
Sgt. Caudle attended Maud ISD, where he was involved in playing football, basketball, and baseball. “Playing sports helped to teach me how to deal with adversity, put the team’s goals ahead of my own, and be a leader,” Sgt. Caudle says. “When I’m not at work, I help pastor a local church, and I assist in coaching my daughter’s sports teams.”
Being a part of a team is something that has always appealed to Sgt. Caudle, and it was what he enjoyed most about playing sports. “There is nothing like a group of people who are willing to put the team’s success ahead of their own to achieve an objective,” Sgt. Caudle says. “Law enforcement is one of the few jobs where it is truly about teamwork and being successful together.”
One example of this occurred a few years ago when Sgt. Caudle was serving in the Special Operations division. Sgt. Caudle was assisting one of the narcotics investigators, who had just purchased an automatic rifle and an explosive device from a suspect. When Sgt. Caudle and the investigator attempted a traffic stop on the suspect, he immediately fled. “From the information we had, we knew it was highly likely the suspect was in possession of numerous firearms and illegal narcotics. The pursuit lasted a few miles and ended after the suspect lost control of his vehicle and flipped several times,” Sgt. Caudle says. “Thankfully for all parties involved, no one was seriously injured. Drugs and weapons were recovered at the scene of the crash.”
When Sgt. Caudle faces dangerous situations, he thinks about his family at home. Sgt. Caudle has been married to his wife, Melissa, for nine years, and they have two children: Caroline, six years old, and Cohen, almost two. “My family means the world to me, and I’m not sure where I would be without them. My wife has supported me in everything throughout my career. She has sacrificed more than anyone so that I could be successful. From the random callouts, night shifts, crazy schedule changes, and out-of-town/state training, she has always stepped up and looked after our family while also being successful in her own career as a kindergarten teacher,” Sgt. Caudle says. “Having children changed my life more than anything because I didn’t think it was possible to love someone so much. It makes you want to be better for them, to be an example for them to follow.”
As a father and a person invested in the Texarkana community, Sgt. Caudle works hard to build positive relationships with Texarkana citizens. One way he does this is by working with programs like P.R.I.D.E., where officers develop relationships with the children and mentor them throughout their school years. According to Sgt. Caudle, another important aspect of building positive relationships is being transparent and honest and making information available and accessible to the public. Finally, he says that TAPD tries to educate the community through the citizen’s police academy. “We provide a comprehensive breakdown of our entire department during the academy. We go over the different functions of each division (patrol, special operations, CID, narcotics, and SWAT) and how each division works in conjunction with the others to ensure success as a department,” Sgt. Caudle says. “Once the academy is complete, our citizens have a greater understanding of what is taking place within our department on a day-to-day basis.”
Even on the more challenging days, Sgt. Caudle says that he cannot imagine having any other career. “There are many challenging things that we encounter while working in this profession, but it’s also one of the most rewarding jobs in the world,” Sgt. Caudle says. “I have been able to do and experience things that would be hard for most people to believe.”