Wendell Watts fired from JPD…..
- Thread starter OG Goat Holder
- Start date
Assistant police chief, been on the force for 30 years, worked well with the previous chief who just resigned and brought down crime. New Jackson mayor comes in, who many thought would be a welcome change, hires a, well, let's say, a new school police chief. Who now fires a that assistant chief for reasons.
Doom and gloom for the citizens of Jackson that live outside the CCID. Lax policing doesn't work and never has.
I expected this new chief to be a disaster. This seems like the kind of firing decision a disaster would make.
She's off t o a rough start. Shootings, house fires and theft in the news almost every day,
I don’t know who the guy is but if he’s been on the force for 30 years, he has not made much of a positive impact.
He made a positive impact when he was in a position of power under a competent chief. Competent top management at JPD has been lacking.
He left to go get GPD started and Jackson lured him back. I was surprised he went back to JPD to be honest
I know a lot of retired JPD officers personally, one being my dad. Wendell is as good as they come. Real police work is in blood and he’s very loyal to the department that gave him his start. Should’ve been a shoe in hire when Horhn was elected.
Weeeelllll, that's not 100% accurate.....I won't purport to know his entire employment history, but at some point he had left to be Gluckstadt's first police chief, and I believe he left that to go take the assistant chief role at JPD under the prior chief. So it's not like he's been there 30 straight....
That's on him, but I'm sure he's PERS retirement eligible.
He was speculated as a contender for the chief post, so she may be trying to weed out the competition.
No worries, the mayah has a plan to bring community leaders, mental health providers and minsters together to get to the bottom of it.
I don’t think any white dude thinks he has a good chance to be chief of JPD in 2026. I think he’d tell you that. I bet JPD assistant chief pays a hell of a lot more than GPD chief and that would be a good way to finish off the career before pers
Well he’s somewhat right in that mental health is the reason for the random murder crimes that happen for no reason. But the only way to solve that is to lock the homeless up in institutions and not let them roam aimlessly. So mental health folks are helpless.
But the only way to stop all the robbing and senseless crimes like that, that sometimes lead to a murder, or the gang shootouts, is strict enforcement.
The community leaders and ministers ain’t helping crap. They are actually aiding and abetting.
I’m sure he’s a good cop. I guess my point is, the department has not been great with him there (probably not his fault obviously). I just can’t imagine Jackson’s PD getting much worse without this guy.
More judges, DA's, and courts to break the logjam of cases and more jail cells to put them in.
Oh, this is a hairist issue. That's not cool.
Blank pate men unite!
I stand with you, brethren.
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It's not that providing institutional care and treatment for homeless individuals wouldn't address some problems—it likely would. Unfortunately, many homicides are committed by people who don't fit that category. I would argue that the overwhelming majority are perpetrated by otherwise mentally competent individuals between the ages of 15 and 30 whose actions are driven by poor judgment, impulsiveness, or reckless decision-making rather than mental illness or homelessness.
Jackson's crime problem cannot be explained by any single factor, but culture is undeniably part of the equation. A culture that normalizes violence, glorifies criminal behavior, or fails to hold individuals accountable can contribute to higher rates of violent crime.
You’re right. But (different topic) I’m most concerned with preventing the totally random crime - women getting stabbed on trains and such.
You can semi-stay away from the rest of the garbage, even if it is the majority.
I have not heard of two sisters and a 2-year-old toddler being shot to death in the same house. That's new as AFAIK.
He had only recently returned in 2023, he had left JPD and worked in other area's around the metro. The numbers I believe I saw were in the short time he was there murders dropped from 118 to 75 annually. Still to many but trending in the right direction and no I am not saying that he was solely responsible for those drops, but he is a good guy and was an asset. actually found a bio for anyone interested.
Professional Bio – Assistant Chief Wendell E. Watts Wendell E. Watts is a seasoned law enforcement executive with three decades of public-safety leadership experience, currently serving as the Assistant Chief of Patrol Operations for the Jackson Police Department in Jackson, Mississippi. In this role, he oversees citywide patrol operations, criminal investigations, the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC), NIBIN operations, the Intelligence Unit, Special Operations, Community Engagement, and multiple interagency task forces. His leadership is grounded in accountability, proactive crime reduction, intelligence-driven strategies, and strong community partnership. Assistant Chief Watts began his career with the Jackson Police Department in the early 1990s, serving in a wide range of assignments including patrol, specialized units, investigative functions, and supervisory roles. His experience spans frontline policing, complex investigations, emergency response, operational command, and strategic planning. His approach emphasizes data-driven deployment, professional standards, officer development, and building community trust through transparency and service. In 2022, Watts was selected as the inaugural Chief of Police for the City of Gluckstadt, Mississippi, where he built the department from the ground up. He established operational policies, staffing structures, training standards, technology systems, and designed a new police and court facility, while ensuring fiscal responsibility and community-focused policing. His work created a modern, professional agency built on relationships, accountability, and service. Watts also served as Director of Security, Emergency Manager, Safety Officer, and HazMat Coordinator for Merit Health Central. There he managed hospital security operations, emergency planning, and crisis readiness for a high-risk healthcare environment. Throughout his career, Assistant Chief Watts has been deeply engaged in modernizing policing systems, intelligence driven policing, technology expansion, real-time crime strategies, fleet restructuring, and evidence-room reform. He has extensive experience collaborating with federal partners including the ATF, FBI, U.S. Attorney’s Office, and state public-safety agencies. His leadership style is often described as steady, ethical, mission-driven, and people-focused, with a strong belief in coaching and developing future leaders. Watts is also actively engaged in higher education, pursuing his master’s in criminal justice, leadership, ethics, and organizational management. He has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, where he graduated Summa *** Laude. He integrates research-based best practices into real-world policing, especially in areas such as violent-crime reduction, intelligence-driven deployment, and ethical decision-making. He is driven by a commitment to public service, integrity, and positive social change, believing that effective policing rests on five pillars: community trust, professional excellence, data driven policing, intelligence led policing, and officer wellness. His goal as Chief of Police is to strengthen public safety while elevating professionalism, transparency, and compassion within the department. Assistant Chief Watts is a lifelong Mississippian, a father, and a proud public servant. He remains passionate about leadership development and building policing systems that protect communities while honoring constitutional rights and human dignity.
Weird that you are picking this hill. Crime had dropped in the City since he and Wade.
And by mental health you mean drug abuse ?? Also let me add, imo, speedy capital punishment should be reinstated regardless of age of perpetrators. If you can gun down a 14 year old over a Playstation there is no reason to assume you can be "fixed". Or shoot/rape a 3 year old. Put them down. Save some jail cells for those that might be rehabilitated. Save some taxpayer money.
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No, by that I'm talking about the truly mentally ill, the homeless in other words. They are off and there's no coming back. I'm sure drug abuse plays a part in it most times. They used to get locked up in mental institutions, now they hang out in most major American cities like Skid Row or whatever. You literally have to wait on them to have an episode, snap and kill somebody before you can lock them up. They are the types you see on the news who are in and out of jail 100 times for doing weird shlt. This doesn't really affect MS all that much, because most normal people don't really interact too much with any homeless in Jackson. And because Jackson is not safe in anyway and offers nothing really, homeless aren't really attracted to it. Most people think they need to just pull themselves up by their bootstraps or whatever, but that's not possible for these folks. They are a different segment of society altogether.
Jackson and MS is generally more affected by what I call intentional crime, which is the gang shootouts, the robberies gone wrong, etc. Mostly the "teens" out terrorizing folks. So I actually agree with you fully. Nothing works except force. There's no reasoning or community development or mental help for this.