By Elizabeth Ferszt
Contributing Writer
On Tuesday, Feb. 11, the City of Jackson officially announced that Jackson County Under Sheriff, Christopher A. Simpson (56), will become chief of police for the city. Chief Simpson formerly served the Jackson Police Department (JPD) for over 25 years, rising to the ranks of Lt. and division commander in 2017. He then continued his law enforcement career at the Jackson County Sheriff’s office, rising to second highest in command.
Simpson’s credentials include an associate’s in arts degree from Jackson (Community) College, a bachelor’s degree in business from Spring Arbor University, and a master’s degree in Organizational Development also from SAU, earned in 2011.
Simpson also served four years active duty in the U.S. Army, and 26 years in Reserves, in the Michigan Army National Guard, including serving 1.5 years in Iraq, retiring with the rank of E-9, Commander Sgt. Major, the highest rank for an enlisted member of the Army Guard.
Simpson also trained at the FBI National Academy at Quantico, Virginia in 2011, for instruction in police executive leadership and command logistics.
When asked about the threat of school shootings in the Jackson area, in light of the recent threat at East Jackson Schools, which was adopted by JPS in terms of school closings on Friday, Feb. 7, Simpson said that school shootings are “terroristic threats” and have to be treated “extremely seriously” whether through social media, phone, text, or email – they have to “run down the IP address [to the device]” and create an “all-stop law enforcement effort to identify the threat” even if it is a prank, which “will be held to justice.” JPD will treat the threat as viable until proven otherwise.
As far as active school shooters, Simpson stated that his department (as well as the County Sheriff’s Office) has trained continually, running drills with other emergency responders such as fire and EMS, while collaborating with JPS to guide their campus-level response.
When asked about the recent news stories about the so-called Thorough Bread Family drug gang, Simpson said he was not personally involved in the successful sentencing of at least six members, which took collaboration with federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms agents, federal prosecutors, and local law enforcement and citizens.
Simpson said taking down TBF was “a great job by all law enforcement involved” including a “long term investigation” in Jackson. This is a good example of collaboration between community and several policing forces, including Michigan State Police (MSP), Blackman Township, JPD, and ATF to “eradicate these organizations from our area. “People think that crime and violence are a police problem,” Simpson said, but the “solution must come from the community.”
Simpson is a lifelong Jackson resident, a graduate of Jackson High School and JCC, who has stated previously that it was always his goal to become JPD chief, using a community outreach method of policing that involves community engagement, and gun violence intervention.
Simpson states that he is married, has four children and three grandchildren. His eldest daughter is in her medical residency in neurology at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.
After nearly 30 years of service, former JPD Chief of Police, Elmer Hitt, retires later this month.
