Scott Forster and Ryan Roush read their oaths to the city council as they were officially appointed as Police Chief and Acting Fire Chief for the city. Screenshot courtesy of the city of Jamestown’s website

The city officially has a new police chief.

Scott Forster has been serving in the role of interim police chief since the retirement of former police chief Timothy Jackson in February, and was appointed to the police chief role during Monday’s voting session of the city council.

“Councilmembers, in pursuant of the authority vested in me by the charter of said city, I do hereby nominate Scott D. Forster … to be appointed chief of police in and for the city of Jamestown, New York,” city clerk, Jennifer John, read as a part of the messages from the mayor to the council for the appointment. “The term for which said appointment is made to expire December 31, 2030, dated March 30, 2026.”

Forster had been serving as the interim chief since the beginning of February when previous Police Chief Tim Jackson retired. Adam McKinley has been promoted to deputy police chief.

After being promoted to sergeant in 2015, Forster has been promoted several times as his career progressed before his 2024 appointment as deputy police chief after Mayor Kim Ecklund and former Police Chief Tim Jackson decided not to fill a captain’s position when Capt. Robert Samuelson retired. Instead, Forster was promoted to deputy chief and management duties that had been held by Samuelson were split between Forster and Jackson. As deputy chief, Forster had been responsible for oversight of the department’s Operations Division, which includes the Patrol Section, which includes three shifts, the K-9 unit and the School Resource Officer Unit; the Special Operations Section, which includes the SWAT team, Honor Guard, Drone Team, Crisis Negotiation Team and Forensic Investigation Team; and the Operational Administration Section, which includes crossing guards and dog control. Forster had also been responsible for coordinating the agency’s commitment to New York State Division of Criminal Justice Service’s grant funded programs.

The appointment followed the approval of a local law reinstating the title of police chief, which along with the title of fire chief, has fallen under the purview of the Director of Public Safety title since 2002. The Director of Public Safety title will no longer exist and both the police chief and fire chief positions will exist on their own. The local law allows for the amendment to Section C-32 of the city code to specify police and fire chief.

The code states that the duty of the police chief is to “to ensure that the laws of the state and the local laws and ordinances of the City of Jamestown are enforced in the City by causing the arrest and, in proper cases, the commitment of persons alleged to have violated such laws pending examination before a Magistrate. He/she shall maintain discipline and efficient organization in the police force of the City, and he/she shall have the power to appoint, suspend from office and to remove from the force any police officer or civilian employed in either the Police Department who is incompetent or guilty of neglect of duty or misconduct in office or who for other reason is a bar to the efficiency and discipline of the police force, which removal shall be subject to civil

service laws and under the regulations of the local Civil Service Commission.”

The fire chief title was reinstated a few months ago following the retirement of Matthew Coon. The duties of the fire chief stated in the code are “to ensure that the laws of the state and the local laws and ordinances of the City of Jamestown are enforced in the City. He/she shall maintain discipline and efficient organization in the Fire Fighting force of the City, and he/she shall have the power to appoint, suspend from office and to remove from the force any fire officer or civilian employed in the Fire Department who is incompetent or guilty of neglect of duty or misconduct in office or who for other reason is a bar to the efficiency and discipline of the firefighter force, which removal shall be subject to civil service laws and under the regulations of the local Civil Service Commission.”

Ryan Roush was also formally appointed as acting fire chief at Monday’s voting session, and both Forster and Roush read their oaths before the council at the voting session. Both appointments expire at the end of 2030.