It was a difficult time within the local police force several months ago. There were only three officers within the department. Two officers worked the day shift while one officer handled the entire city during the night hours.
That officer was Patrick Jaco. And although other job offers would surface, he refused to leave Yazoo City. It was his community, and he did not want to give up on her.
“At the time, we didn’t have a police chief or any investigators,” Jaco said. “We were literally down to three officers. I was the only officer who worked the night shift. I worked every night for three months. But I am not the type of person who leaves for something easier when it gets tough. If we all did that, nothing would get better.”
“This is my home,” he added. “My kids and family are here. It’s my community. Yazoo City has invested in me, so I was determined to stay invested in Yazoo City. I wasn’t going anywhere.”
Jaco toughed it out during those difficult times. And he was right…it did get better.
The local police force has strengthened over the last several months. Kenny Hampton was hired as police chief by the new city administration. The department welcomed Richard Brooks as its assistant chief. And officers were and continue to be actively recruited to serve the community.
And Jaco was recently promoted to captain, handling patrol and training within the department.
“It was a tough time there,” Jaco said. “But we have really come a long way. And we continue to build back to where we need to be. I am happy to still be a part of this team.”
Jaco first arrived at the Yazoo City Police Department under the former leadership of Eric Snow and Jessie Fry when he was in his early 20s.
“They kept asking me if wanted to become a police officer,” he said. “They didn’t realize I wasn’t 21 years old because of my size. But when I turned 22 years old, I decided to apply at the Yazoo City Police Department. It was then that I was hired and became an officer.”
Jaco remained on the local force until 2010 when he was shot seven times while serving as an off-duty security officer at a local nightclub.
After taking a short break, Jaco took a job within some small departments in the Isola and Belzoni area. He later took a job as a security office at the University Medical Center. He even served as police chief in Tchula for a couple of years.
But after shifting around to find where he would be happy, Jaco returned to the YCPD. And he has been here ever since, including the challenging times.
“When it got tough, it would have been easy to go somewhere else,” Jaco admits. “But that wouldn’t have helped my community.”
Although Jaco said the department is experiencing a successful transition, he admits there is always a turnover rate to consider.
“Every department has a turnover rate, but it is not as bad as it once was,” Jaco said. “We’re still running steady, building up our shifts. We were at three, but now, from administration down, we have about 15 here. And we are steadily recruiting.”
Jaco said recruits are currently attending the state police academy, and there are a few more officers pushing through the application process.
“Two of those are former officers so they are familiar with the community, which always helps,” Jaco said. “But our morale has increased significantly. When we were down to three officers, the call volume was overwhelming. But now we are rebuilding, sharing the load and pulling together to get the job done. It isn’t always easy, but it has become more enjoyable.”
Jaco said the relationship between the community and the police force has also improved.
“It’s not just here, it’s everywhere,” he said. “The relationship between the citizens and police officers has been broken. But we are working on restoring that, and I believe it is working. I have had a few citizens just stop and say ‘thank-you.’ That means more than you can know. Just taking the time to speak to us means so much.”
Jaco said connecting with the youth is also a vital relationship he intends to restore locally.
“We are making sincere efforts to reconnect to the younger generation,” he said. “And I can’t thank the deputies with the sheriff’s department as well. They really helped us out during the tough times. And they continue to help us today.”
And as he accepts his new role, Jaco reflects on what attracted him to policing in the first place…his community.
“There is still work to be done, but it is a lot better,” he said. “Nothing worth having comes easy. Anything worth obtaining comes with challenges. And it is worth it.”
