Newly appointed Police Chief Joey Head is hitting the ground running with his new position, and he has many goals he would like to meet as the new leader of the Yazoo City Police Department. Increasing manpower, beefing up patrol, developing community relations and addressing the local youth crimes are just a handful of areas he is ready to explore deeper.
Head accepted his new position on Sept. 27, with many goals already on the table that he is ready to put into motion. He said he hopes to reduce crime, be more visible in the community, lower the response time to calls and help build a better relationship with the community.
“We are going to be respectful; we are going to be professional, and we are going to be trustworthy,” Head said.
Head said he plans to put together a true community watch program that will span throughout the entire community. He said he hopes that this will help gain trust back from the community, developing relationships.
Staffing has been an issue with the local police department for quite some time. Recruiting officers is on Head’s top list. There are 27 officers within the department, but Head said there needs to be 30 officers to be considered fully staffed. When Head first took his position, he said there were only seven full-time officers and three part-time officers. That number has already increased, and Head said he intends to keep pushing recruitment.
“There are many applications that I plan to hire three more officers,” he said. “But we will not stop taking applications because there is always a need for officers. We want to be able to provide to those who are in need and protect and serve our community.”
There has also been an increase in juvenile crimes within the city. Head said he would like to use his officers to reach out to the local youth to help them understand that the police department is there to assist, not harm, them.”
“We want to help get them on the right path but also show them that there are consequences to things that some do,” he said.
Head said that respect comes from trust that needs to be built back up.
Beefing up local patrol is also on Head’s radar. He plans to have officers more visible in all areas of the community, which includes four beats.
“We have city-issued vehicles, so our duty is to patrol around and to stay safe,” he said.
Head said manpower needs to be structured. Now that the manpower is at respectful number, he said that it is time to build structure in those parts.
“When you put people in the position that they need to be and you allow them to do their job, everything will flow better and keep things from lacking or being forgot about,” Head said. “We need to plan to work on humbling themselves when things come up and not to take things so personal. We plan to keep everything professional, put our trust in God that He will help humble us and keep our hearts in the right direction.”
Head said his faith will play a crucial role in his new position. He asks that the community keep his department in their prayers, and he intends to teach his officers to trust in the Lord.
“I thank God what he brought me through, what He is currently bringing me through and what He will continue doing for me,” Head said. “He has laid a path for me, and I see the things he is doing for me. I humble myself and thank Him for what he has done for me.”
Head would also like to thank Yazoo County Sheriff Jacob Sheriff, who he worked under as chief deputy for several years before taking his new position.
“I want to thank Sheriff Jacob Sheriff for allowing me to be his chief deputy for almost ten years,” he said. “I’ve learned from it and gained from it. It is now that we have a great working relationship between two agencies that is going to be a great strength and help throughout the community.”
