Veteran law enforcement officer Patrick Jaco resigned last week as Yazoo City’s police chief to pursue another career path that he believes is in the best interest of his family.
“I want the public to know that this was not an easy decision for me,” Jaco said. “I continue to be a supporter for Yazoo City, this community and the police department. I want to see the continued improvement for the department and the city.”
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen accepted Jaco’s resignation letter during a special call meeting last Thursday. The board also appointed former county sheriff Jacob Sheriff to serve as interim chief until the new incoming city administration can make a longer-term decision on the leadership of the Yazoo City Police Department.
“This decision was based on the needs of my family and for stability,” Jaco added. “I am grateful to the board for providing me with the opportunity to serve as both interim and police chief. I hate that my next opportunity presented itself to me when it did, at this time. But after weighing up the different options, I felt like I was making the best decision, not just for myself, but looking forward to the future of my children.”
The city council appointed Jaco as the new police chief on Dec. 30, 2025. Alderman Jammie McCoy cast the sole opposing vote. Jaco had served as the interim police chief since last October. It marked the second time he had been named the department’s interim police chief.
“Although it is another career path, it remains local and keeps me in Yazoo City,” Jaco said. “I still plan to work for this community. I will continue to be available to the police department. I might not be on its payroll, but I am here to provide any services, even just advice.”
Jaco said with his new position, his commitment to Yazoo City remains, adding that he is grateful to be provided an opportunity to remain local. And he already has the future on his mind.
“I am still rooted in Yazoo City,” he said. “Down the line, there might be other options that might allow me to be even more helpful to the city. In the future, I might decide to run for political office. I want to choose a path that keeps me where I need to be able to help this community.”
Jaco also said that the city council has been very supportive during his tenure and during his most recent decision, adding that he also timed his decision with the recent primary election. And he said the community’s support was one of the main things that made his decision difficult.
“I had support from the board and the department,” he said. “I was overwhelmed with the support from the community. That makes this decision even that much harder. I have nothing but respect for the mayor, the board and the other candidates who ran for city office. I decided to hold off on this decision until after the primary election so that the current board did not have to deal with this while campaigning for their offices. I was asked to wait until after the election, and out of respect, I did that.”
Manpower was always a hot topic within the local police department. Keeping enough officers on a shift has been a difficult issue to balance. Jaco said he is proud that as chief, six recruits, including three certified officers, were brought onboard.
And Jaco said the teamwork from Capt. Artis Harris, who has served as the department’s sole investigator, also brought a balance to his former role.
“I had tremendous help from Capt. Harris in investigations,” Jaco said. “He has done great work during our recent shooting cases and making arrests in those cases. He is the sole investigator at this department, and he has handled all the cases on his own. He has made arrests in about 90 percent of the cases he has took on. I am proud of the work and effort Harris has put in.”
Jaco was Yazoo City’s ninth police chief within the past decade. The revolving door within one of the city’s most vital departments included:
* Jeff Curtis: November 2014-October 2016
* Andre Lloyd: November 2016-August 2017
* Ron Sampson: August 2017-April 2020
* Jay Winstead: August 2020-April 2021
* Joey Head: October 2021-April 2022
* Kenny Hampton: May 2022-May 2023
* Fred Randle: June 2023-June 2023 (ten days)
* Terry Gann: September 2023-October 2025
* Patrick Jaco: December 2025-February 2026
