Jackson Police Chief James Davis announced Friday morning that he is retiring after almost 30 years with JPD.

Davis was appointed by the Jackson mayor in 2018, though some felt he was set up for failure given the behind the scenes involvement the mayor was rumored to have had, according to law enforcement sources.

Davis was a cop’s cop, and accomplished much in his career that was worth celebrating. When Davis joined the department, he spent first 10 years on the police department as a Patrol Officer before becoming the first African American Range Master at the JPD Training Academy.

Chief Davis worked his way through the ranks of the department to become the Sergeant and then the Lieutenant in Precinct 3. From there, Davis went on to become District Commander, Deputy Chief and then Assistant Chief.

Davis was known as a skilled S.W.A.T. officer, and served 15 years on the JPD S.W.A.T. Team. He’s also known to be a very accurate shot.

During Davis’ tenure, homicides soared, but it’s been documented that JPD’s hands have been tied in many ways including manpower, morale, equipment, and a District Attorney’s Office who seemed to stretch hard to try to indict Jackson Police Officers who were involved in critical situations.

Davis has not said how he plans to spend his retirement, but we at Darkhorse Press hope his life is 200% less stressful. Thank you, Chief Davis.