Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson is pictured taking the oath of office Monday after he was reappointed to a two-year term. P-J photo by Eric Tichy

Timothy Jackson helped lead Jamestown’s police department as the nation as a whole saw a pronounced shift in how officers interact with the public.

Jackson will now have the chance to see the city’s efforts through and more following his reappointment as police chief for an additional two years. The Jamestown City Council, by a unanimous vote, made the move official during its voting session Monday night.

“I’m looking forward to advancing the police department in some of our strategies and continuing the goals that we started,” the police chief told The Post-Journal after the voting session.

Mayor Eddie Sundquist had previously nominated Jackson for reappointment for a term to run through Dec. 31, 2025. His nomination was tabled until Monday’s meeting.

Jackson was named interim chief of police by Sundquist in July 2020 with the retirement of Chief Harry Snellings. At the time, Jackson was a lieutenant with the department.

He was appointed chief that November.

In coordination with the city Department of Department, Jackson and the police department held a series of community forums over the summer at various city parks. The forums drew dozens of city residents and led to discussions on a host of community-related topics.

The gatherings were organized in response to state funding the county and JPD received for being part of New York’s Gun Involved Violence Elimination initiative.

Asked Monday of his successes while police chief, Jackson alluded to the department’s focus on community engagement. He noted that JPD established a community resource officer and became more engaged with the public, both at events and through social media.

“Several of those have been successful,” said Jackson, who also referenced the department’s new nuisance officer and Violent Crime Unit.

He said a focus moving forward will be further combating the area’s opioid problem, specifically fentanyl. In Chautauqua County, dozens of deaths have been attributed the past few years to drug overdoses. The majority of deaths have occurred in the Jamestown area.

“The greatest challenge in the future is going to be tackling the fentanyl problem,” Jackson said.

The police chief said finding police officers remains a challenge as well.

“Recruitment is an issue for all police departments all over the nation,” said Jackson, who noted that JPD is in need of at least three officers at the moment.

Jackson, a city resident, has been with the Jamestown Police Department since May 2000. He also served with the U.S. Navy Reserve from 2002 to 2008.

Following Monday’s vote for reappointment, Jackson took the oath of office.