The City of Jackson today announced the final four candidates for the position of Chief of Police for the Jackson Police Department. RaShall Brackney, Joseph Daughtry, LeJon Roberts and Wendell Watts were selected from an original pool of 32 applicants from across the country, which was narrowed to seven semifinalists and then to the current group of four finalists through a structured, multi-stage review process. To support this critical leadership search, the City engaged the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a nationally recognized police research and policy organization.
As part of the next phase, Mayor John Horhn will conduct individual in-person interviews with each of the four finalists this week. In addition to the mayoral interviews, a separate Police Chief Search Committee panel, appointed by Mayor Horhn, will hold in-person interviews with each candidate, allowing for multiple perspectives and a deeper evaluation of leadership style, experience, and community-focused policing approaches.
The finalist interviews build on the seven public listening sessions held earlier in the process across the City, where residents shared their priorities and concerns regarding public safety, police accountability, and community engagement. Feedback from those listening sessions has informed both the recruitment and interview phases and will continue to guide the City’s decision-making as the process moves forward.
Mayor Horhn emphasized the importance of both thoroughness and transparency in this search.
“My main priority throughout this process has been to find the right leader to build trust, reduce crime, and strengthen the partnership between our officers and the residents they serve,” said Mayor John Horhn. “We started with 32 applicants from across the country, narrowed that group to seven, and are now down to four finalists after careful review, public listening sessions, and extensive vetting. This has been a deliberate, thorough process, and I am committed to appointing a chief who reflects Jackson’s values, listens to our community, supports our officers, and is ready to get to work on day one.”
Biographies and photos of the four finalists are being provided with this announcement.
Following this week’s interviews with both the Mayor and the Police Chief Search Committee, the City will complete its final evaluations and announce the selected candidate afterward.
For more information, please contact the Mayor’s Office of Communications at (601) 960-0462.
Candidates include:
Chief RaShall M. Brackney, Ph.D.
Dr. RaShall M. Brackney is a nationally respected law enforcement executive, scholar, and public safety leader with more than 35 years of experience. She served for three decades with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, retiring as a Commander after holding senior leadership roles across patrol, investigations, and special operations, where she oversaw large teams and complex public safety initiatives.
Dr. Brackney later served as Chief of Police for George Washington University and the City of Charlottesville, Virginia, leading departments through periods of heightened public scrutiny and organizational change. In these roles, she implemented reforms focused on operational effectiveness, officer training, transparency, accountability, and community engagement.
She is currently a Distinguished Professor of Practice at George Mason University, where she integrates scholarship and executive leadership to advance policing, public safety, and community trust. Her work emphasizes procedural justice, harm reduction, restorative justice, and collaborative approaches to strengthening police–community relations.
Dr. Brackney earned her Ph.D. from Robert Morris University and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University. She has been a Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Politics and Strategy and was selected as a Fellow of the Harvard University Advanced Leadership Initiative (2024). She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and has completed advanced executive training through the U.S. Secret Service and the Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP).
She is a life member of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), where she serves as Chair of the National Education and Training Committee, and is a member of the FBI National Academy Associates (FBINAA), the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives (NAWLEE), and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
Dr. Brackney is married to Dr. Stefan Wheelock, a graduate of Tougaloo College. They have one daughter, Rikki, and a son-in-law, Brendon. Her family maintains strong ties to Mississippi, where her in-laws reside in Madison.
Chief Joseph M. Daughtry Sr.
Chief Joseph M. Daughtry Sr. is one of Mississippi’s most respected public safety leaders, bringing nearly 30 years of law enforcement experience marked by steady leadership, measurable public safety outcomes, and strong community trust. He is known for leading with calm authority in challenging environments while delivering results through disciplined strategy, accountability, and collaboration.
Raised in New Orleans by a determined single mother, Chief Daughtry learned early the values of resilience, accountability, and faith. Those principles continue to shape his leadership style: measured under pressure, people-centered in approach, and grounded in purpose.
As Chief of Police in Columbus, Mississippi, Chief Daughtry led his department through a historic period of public safety improvement. Under his leadership, the city experienced a full calendar year without a homicide—an achievement that had not occurred in more than two decades. This milestone followed two consecutive years in which homicides were reduced from double digits to single digits, reflecting a sustained, strategic approach to violent crime reduction rather than a short-term fluctuation. These outcomes were achieved through focused enforcement, officer accountability, and strengthened community partnerships.
Throughout his career, Chief Daughtry has served in a broad range of law enforcement roles, consistently emphasizing organizational reform, operational effectiveness, and transparency. His leadership approach balances crime reduction with professionalism, constitutional policing, and community engagement.
He is the former President of the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police and currently serves as Vice President of the Greater Mississippi Chapter of NOBLE, the National Organization for Black Law Enforcement Executives. In these roles, he has helped shape leadership standards, influence statewide policy discussions, and promote best practices in modern policing across Mississippi.
Chief Daughtry holds a Master’s Degree in Theology, which informs his ethical framework and commitment to servant leadership. He is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Mu Sigma Chapter, and a Prince Hall Mason affiliated with Wiley Spence Lodge No. 704. Through these organizations, he embraces a lifelong commitment to service, accountability, and uplifting the communities he serves.
A devoted husband, father, and grandfather, Chief Daughtry is the father of two sons and a daughter and the grandfather of four. Family remains his foundation and a constant reminder that public safety decisions have real consequences for real people. Outside of work, he and his wife enjoy traveling together, valuing time for reflection, renewal, and perspective.
A proud New Orleanian, Chief Daughtry remains deeply connected to his roots and culture and is an enthusiastic supporter of the New Orleans Saints, Jackson State University, and LSU.
Chief Daughtry views policing not simply as a profession, but as a calling. His career reflects a proven ability to lead complex organizations, reduce violent crime, strengthen trust, and deliver sustainable public safety outcomes while upholding integrity, accountability, and respect. As a finalist for Chief of Police in Jackson, Mississippi, he brings experience, strategic vision, and a servant’s heart prepared to meet the city’s public safety challenges with discipline and purpose.
Major LeJon M. Roberts
LeJon M. Roberts serves as a Police Major with the New Orleans Police Department, where he provides executive leadership within the Field Operations Bureau, the division responsible for the city’s 24/7 public safety operations. With more than 27 years of progressive law enforcement experience, Major Roberts is recognized for his strategic command expertise, operational discipline, and commitment to constitutional, bias-free policing.
In his current role, Major Roberts oversees the department’s most complex and high-risk
operational components, including Special Operations and several of New Orleans’ most violent police districts. His portfolio includes command oversight of specialized units such as tactical platoons, K-9, explosives ordnance disposal, marine and search-and-rescue operations, traffic fatality investigations, and violent offender apprehension teams. He also leads community engagement and outreach initiatives, serves as a departmental spokesperson, assists with budget development and resource allocation, and routinely assumes the duties of senior command staff. Central to his leadership was ensuring full compliance with the department’s federal consent decree, sustaining ongoing compliance, and maintaining strong partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies.
Major Roberts has served as Incident Commander for some of the nation’s largest and most complex public safety events, including the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, French Quarter Festival, NCAA Sugar Bowl, NFL and NBA games, and major national special events, including Super Bowl planning. Previously, he commanded the historic Eighth Police District—New Orleans’ most visited and high-profile area—where he managed large-scale tourism, special events, and mounted operations, and collaborated extensively with business leaders, hospitality partners, and community stakeholders.
A veteran instructor, Major Roberts teaches riot and mobile field force operations, SWAT tactics, and leadership development at both the departmental and national levels, including through the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He holds a Master of Public
Administration degree and is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Center for Public Safety School of Staff and Command. His career has been marked by numerous commendations, including a national lifesaving medal for heroism during Hurricane Katrina.
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 Cum 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.
