Chief Bradley Taylor

09/04/2026

As the sun rises on the prairie,
with just a few clouds in the sky,
the kids are already at the field bright and early
for that Friday morning prayer they do every Friday.

Heads bowed together,
talking to the Good Lord above.
They probably don’t even realize it yet,
but these are the days they’re gonna look back on and love.

Lord, slow it down just a little.
Don’t let it all go by in the blink of an eye.

Because as the day goes on
and that Arkansas heat turns up,
it won’t be long before those lights come on
and the fans start showing up.

The band will play.
The crowd will holler.
Somebody will make a big play
and somebody will wish they had one back.

That’s football.
That’s life.

Next play.

You can’t change the one behind you,
but you dang sure can control what you do with the next one.

Before long these boys will put that helmet on,
walk across that field
and represent their school, their family, their teammates
and that name across their chest.

Know your identity.

Who you are is bigger than a scoreboard,
bigger than a win or a loss,
and bigger than what happens under those Friday night lights.

And Mom and Dad…

Presence over proximity.

Don’t just be at the game.
BE at the game.

Put the phone down every now and then.
Watch your kid.
Listen to the band.
Hear the crowd.
Take in those lights.

Because you’re gonna blink
and you’ll be sitting in those same stands
watching somebody else’s kid play.

You had your shot.
You had your Friday nights.

Don’t mess theirs up.

Let them play.
Let them fail.
Let them learn.
Let the coaches coach.
Let the officials officiate.
And let these kids make THEIR memories.

Win or lose, when those lights go off tonight,
make sure that kid knows you’re proud of them.

Because one day that jersey gets turned in,
the helmet comes off for the last time,
and the lights come on without them.

So Lord, protect these kids tonight.
Protect the coaches, officials, cheerleaders, band, fans and everyone traveling.

And please…

Don’t let these Friday nights go by
in the blink of an eye. 🏈🙏💜🤍

09/03/2026

Today I had the opportunity to take part in an Executive Meeting in Helena-West Helena with the Arkansas State Police.

A lot of the conversation was about their willingness to help local law enforcement agencies and what they could do better.

I guess I come from a little different perspective, and like several people said today… East Arkansas is just different.

We ALWAYS help each other.

When that radio goes off and an officer needs help, we don’t care who, what, when, or where. We are going unless somebody tells us otherwise. City, county, state—it doesn’t matter. Somebody needs help, you go.

I honestly couldn’t imagine working somewhere where agencies didn’t work together.

I can remember so many times being out on the interstate, maybe by myself dealing with something, and seeing one of those guys with that BIG hat pull up and thinking, “Thank you, Jesus!” 😂 That backup means more than people realize.

They asked today, “What can we do better?”

For me, I’m not sure they can. I’ve never had a problem picking up the phone and asking Arkansas State Police for assistance.

And my title has never prevented me from knowing somebody else may be better at something than I am. Some of those guys are better investigators. Some have more experience in certain areas. Leadership isn’t pretending you know everything. Sometimes leadership is knowing who DOES know and not being too proud to ask them for help.

But something else stuck with me today.

One of those Troopers never fails to text me on Father’s Day or Christmas. Nothing long or fancy. Just a simple text message.

He probably doesn’t even realize how much that means to me.

Relationships matter. Checking on people matters. Having somebody’s back matters.

The badge on our chest may be different. The patch on our shoulder may be different. But when somebody calls for help, none of that matters.

That’s something I’m proud of about East Arkansas.

We take care of our own. 💙

09/03/2026

Took this picture this morning taking Kenzie to school!!! ❤️

Got me thinking… I wonder how many more years she’s gonna let Dad take her to school?

Right now it’s just part of our normal morning. Get up, get ready, get in the truck and head to school. But one day that normal morning won’t be normal anymore.

One day she’ll grab the keys and drive herself. And I’ll probably be standing there wishing I could take her just one more time.

We spend so much time looking forward to the big moments that sometimes we miss the little ones happening right in front of us.

So as long as she’ll let me, Dad’s gonna keep taking her to school!!! ❤️

Man… these kids grow up way too fast.

09/02/2026

Happy Birthday Shug!!!! Thank you for everything you do, it doesn’t go unnoticed. Love you!!!

09/01/2026

09/01/2026

Sure picked a WARM day to sight in my new Vortex scope and R***r RPR!!! 🥵🎯 Almost dialed in!!! 🎯

***rRPR

09/01/2026

🎣 Two years ago today, we were trout fishing as a family!!!

I preach this all the time: Know your identity when you walk through that front door.

At work, I may be the Chief. I may be a cop. I may be responsible for making decisions, leading people, and handling problems.

But when I get home, my family doesn’t need a cop. They need a husband and a father.

Your kids don’t care about your rank, your title, how many arrests you made, or how important you were at work that day. They just want Dad.

Put the badge down. Put the phone down. Leave the job at the door when you can. Go fishing. Throw the ball. Sit on the porch. Make the memories.

Because one day, you’ll look back at a picture like this and realize just how fast those two years went.

Know your identity at home. Be a father, not a cop. Be a husband, not a supervisor. Your family needs your presence more than your profession. ❤️

08/31/2026

I’ve had the opportunity several times to walk into the studio and sit in as a co-host, and I’ll tell you—it can be a culture shock for me.

I’m used to being in my world, around my people, doing a job I’ve done for years. Then all of a sudden, I’m sitting beside people who do television for a living. Those guys do this every day or every week. They know the room. They know the timing. They know when to speak, when to listen, when to jump in, and how everything flows.

That’s THEIR room.

So when I walk into it as a guest, I respect it.

Sometimes people will say, “Chief, you should’ve talked more!” or “Why didn’t you say more?”

But maybe there’s another way to look at it.

What if I’m not being quiet because I don’t have anything to say?

What if I’m being quiet because I’m respecting the room and respecting the people who do it for a living?

I’ve learned over the years that you don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to have a presence in it.

Sometimes wisdom is knowing when to speak.

Sometimes respect is knowing when to listen.

And sometimes leadership is understanding that just because somebody gave you a seat at the table doesn’t mean you have to dominate the conversation.

That applies everywhere—television, law enforcement, church, coaching, work, or just sitting around with a group of friends.

Understand your room. Know your people. Respect the room. Earn your voice.

08/31/2026

UNDERSTAND YOUR ROOM!!! 👊

What do I mean by that? Know your people. Know your audience. Read the room.

When I’m first invited somewhere, I usually keep my mouth shut and listen. I’m a guest. I haven’t earned the right to walk in and take over the conversation. I watch. I listen. I learn the pecking order and understand the people around me.

Over time, you earn the respect of the room. They start allowing you to speak a little more freely. Then, as relationships grow and trust is built, everybody gets more comfortable. The banter gets better, the jokes get better, and you learn what you can say, how you can say it, and who you can say it to.

That’s no different than my community.

I’ve been here my entire life. I either went to school with a lot of these folks, grew up with them, worked alongside them, or coached them or their kids in football. We know each other. There’s history there. There’s trust there.

So sometimes my language, jokes, or the way I talk to somebody may sound different than the way someone else would talk to them. But it’s not coming from a place of disrespect. It comes from knowing my people and them knowing me.

That’s something leadership has taught me:

You can’t lead every room the same way.

What works with one group may not work with another. What makes one person laugh may offend somebody who doesn’t know you. A relationship gives you certain liberties—but those liberties are earned, not assumed.

So before you walk into somebody else’s room and start telling everybody how they ought to act…

Understand the room.
Respect the room.
Earn the room.
And most importantly—KNOW YOUR PEOPLE!!!

Good leadership isn’t just knowing what to say. Sometimes it’s knowing when to keep your mouth shut, when to speak, and who you’re speaking to.