After a quarter of a century of service, Jackson said it’s time to move on.

Jackson began his career with the Jamestown Police Department on May 1, 2000, when he was appointed to the position of Patrolman.

Over the course of his career, he advanced through the ranks, earning appointments as Sergeant on Jan. 8, 2008, Lieutenant on Aug. 9, 2010, and ultimately Chief of Police and Director of Public Safety on Nov. 30, 2020.

Prior to becoming Chief, he made significant contributions to the Kendall Club, where he served as President, and was also a member of the SWAT Team, including roles as SWAT Team Leader and SWAT Team Commander. He also served on the Honor Guard and Awards Committee.

Mayor Kim Ecklund recognizes retiring Police Chief Timothy Jackson at a recent celebration held in his honor. Photo courtesy of the city of Jamestown’s Facebook page

Jackson will officially be retiring on Feb. 4.

“I felt it was time to move on,” Jackson said. “It felt like the best time.”

According to the mayor’s office, the city is now in the process of conducting an internal review as an initial step, and any decisions regarding the scope of the search for the new police chief will be made following that review. No determinations have been made at this time, but internal interest from the department has been expressed.

The city has an established review process and any internal interest will be evaluated based on experience, qualifications and demonstrated leadership.

At the moment it is anticipated that the police chief position will be filled in the spring, possibly by the end of March. The timeline is also dependent on planned upcoming action from the City Council related to a charter amendment that would separate the Public Safety Director position back into separate police chief and fire chief roles.

The two leadership positions were consolidated into the Director of Public Safety role in 2002, and City Council members recently approved a charter amendment to restore the fire chief position in March 2025, with the mayor’s office saying it is expected to have the council consider a corresponding amendment for the police chief as well in the near future.

As for what comes next for Jackson, he said he is going to see what happens, but also will be planning to take some time off, and then see what opportunities come to him. Looking towards the future of the Jamestown Police Department, he added his hopes for them are to be able to get fully staffed again, something that he noted has been the biggest obstacle for the department over the past few years.

As Jackson prepares to step into the next chapter, he said his time serving with the Jamestown Police Department has been an honor.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve for the past 25 years,” Jackson said. “I’ve enjoyed it.”