The Jacksonville Police Department has its next chief of police.
Deputy Chief Doug Thompson was officially appointed by Mayor Andy Ezard to be the successor to Adam Mefford. Mefford is retiring effective October 4th after 25 years with the Jacksonville Police Department.
Mefford gave a brief goodbye to the Jacksonville City Council during their regular meeting on Monday night. Mefford thanked everyone he has worked with over the last 25 years: “Most importantly, I want to thank the citizens of Jacksonville for 25 years for giving me a community that I really, genuinely care about, that I raise my family in, and that I’m going to continue to live in in a capacity as a civilian now much more comfortably. Thank you.”
Mefford also recounted when former Chief of Police and current Ward 5 Alderman Don Cook gave him the call to first come aboard as a police officer for the city in September 1998. Ezard told the city council that the transition from Mefford to Thompson in the chief’s office should be seamless: Part of the reason is I like the flow of the police department under the current chief, and I think Doug will take that direction and move forward with his own ideas. I look forward to working with Doug. He has done a good job as deputy chief, but he’s got big shoes to fill. Everyone needs to support our future chief.”
Thompson, who is originally from Beardstown, has been a member of the Jacksonville Police Department since 2002, starting out as a K-9 officer.