Former Ridgeland Police Chief Jimmy Houston died Wednesday afternoon, Ridgeland Police Department confirmed.
Houston was chief at Ridgeland PD for 12 years after more than two decades at Jackson Police Department. He was an FBI National Academy graduate who began his law enforcement career in 1973, became Flowood Police Chief in 1997 and served with the Jackson Police Department for 24. He ran for Madison County sheriff in 2011 against current Sheriff Randy Tucker; and in 2014, he retired and went on to head the criminal justice department at Holmes Community College.
He was quoted by The Clarion-Ledger in 1997 when he was appointed in Flowood as saying, “This is a dream of a lifetime. My ambition in law enforcement was to get my education and training and go work at a smaller, more personable, easygoing department full of good officers.”
And it would seem he did that at Flowood, and later at Ridgeland.
“Chief Houston was one of my Chiefs and I loved him and I love his family,” said current Ridgeland Police Chief Brian Myers. “Many of our officers began their careers under Chief Houston’s reign. He was a great law enforcement officer, leader, husband, father and grandfather. Please keep his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.
Fellow retired Chief John Neal became chief in 2015, and Houston had been his chief as a night shift sergeant.
“Thinking back on my career and some of the milestones I hit in my professional development, much of it came to fruition because of Jimmy Houston’s belief in me,” he said. “I had resources and educational opportunities, I think because Jimmy saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself as a mid-career police officer.”
Neal said Houston taught him lessons as a younger officer that he often looked back on and understood better when he became chief. He recognized that later as Houston’s way of preparing him for the path Houston seemed to know he’d take.
Houston also often spoke of his family, even during times when business was on the forefront, Neal said.
“He talked about Ms. Bonnie all the time, even when we were deep in command staff meetings, trying to figure out the Xs and Os of police work,” Neal said. “He always talked about her, and he always reminded us, you’ve got spouses and kids and families. Don’t discount what they do to make you a better person.”
That compassion was one of his trademarks as a leader, Neal said.
“That’s one of the things he also taught me was that outside police work and the black-and-white rules of law enforcement and criminal justice, cops are people too,” he said. “They have issues they’re dealing with outside of the building. Never lose sight of the fact that their day is often set up by whatever is going on outside their job. Be compassionate, know their families, know their spouses.”
Chief Houston leaves behind his wife, Bonnie, of 55 years, three children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild.
At this point there have been no details released regarding his death or any funeral arrangements.
