Mayor relieves Jackson police chief of duties

Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist relieved Police Chief Gill Kendrick of his duties at the Jackson Police Department, effective immediately, and has named Capt. Julien Wiser as the Interim Chief of Police, according to a news release.

Wiser is currently the Commander of the Special Operations Division, which includes the Aviation Unit, Bomb Unit, Canine Unit, Gang Enforcement Team, SWAT Unit and Metro Narcotics.

"Now is the time to put a seasoned officer at the top of our police organization who has been involved at the ground level with combating drugs, and who has a day-to-day understanding of what drives youth violence," Gist said.

Gist recognized Kendrick's service to the community: "Chief Kendrick accomplished some key things in his five years as chief, including a 12 percent drop in the crime rate since he became chief. He has attracted federal grants to help fight crime."

"Naming Capt. Wiser is part of a continuing effort to take Jackson beyond the type of issues that cities across our nation are facing. We need tough leadership, an informed focus on fighting crime, and more engagement with the people of Jackson. Capt. Wiser, who has been with the Jackson Police Department for 17 years, has the experience and ability to do that. He has put gang members, drug dealers, and other violent criminals in jail as he worked the front lines of the tactical units and the gang enforcement team. I am pleased that he has agreed to be interim chief of police, effective immediately, Gist said.

Gist said there is no effort at the time to search for a permanent chief.

"We want to see what the next six months hold for our city and for law enforcement in our city," he told The Jackson Sun. "We have full confidence in Interim Chief Wiser. I view an immediate search for a permanent chief as a distraction from our goals."

Wiser was the first supervisor of the newly formed Street Crimes Unit in 2008, while he continued to serve as the sergeant in charge of the Gang Enforcement Team and Canine Unit. He also has served in the U.S. Marines and as a Federal Task Force Officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Marshals Service. He and his wife, Julie, have two teenage sons.

"I am honored with Mayor Gist's confidence in my ability to lead the Jackson Police Department," Wiser said. "The department is filled with dedicated officers and civilian personnel who put the safety of the Jackson community first every day."

Reach Nichole Manna at (731) 425-9657. Follow her on Twitter @NicholeManna