Mayor Horhn Announces Dr. RaShall Brackney as the Next Chief of Police
Jackson, Miss. – Mayor John Horhn today announced that he will appoint Dr. RaShall M. Brackney as the next Chief of Police for the Jackson Police Department (JPD), following a national search that included community input, screening, and multiple rounds of interviews. The appointment will be submitted to the Jackson City Council for confirmation.
Dr. Brackney brings more than three decades of law enforcement leadership, academic work, and community-centered public safety experience. She is a retired veteran of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, where she served for over 30 years in a series of command and leadership roles. She later served as Chief of Police at George Washington University and as Chief of Police for the City of Charlottesville, Virginia.
“From the start of this search, our focus has been finding the right leader to build trust, reduce crime, and strengthen the partnership between our officers and the residents they serve,” said Mayor Horhn. “Dr. RaShall Brackney has spent her career working at the intersection of public safety and community trust, and she knows effective policing depends on accountability and transparency. Her experience running complex departments, her national reputation as a public safety expert, and her commitment to listening to residents make her the right choice to lead the Jackson Police Department.”
“I’m honored by the opportunity to serve the people of Jackson and to work alongside the dedicated men and women of the Jackson Police Department,” said Dr. Brackney. “I’ve always believed that you can’t have real public safety without strong community trust. I look forward to listening to residents, partnering with neighborhood leaders, and supporting officers as we work to make every part of this city safer. I’m committed to helping build a department that reflects those strengths, treats every person with dignity, and focuses on preventing violence while solving crime. My investments in Jackson run deeper than a title or position. My family is from the greater Jackson area. Jackson has a proud history and a resilient spirit, and my aim is to support the community’s positive growth during my tenure.
Because of her binding commitment the week of February 9th, she will arrive in Jackson the week of February 16th to meet with officers, council members, and community leaders to hear directly from them.
Biographical information
Dr. RaShall M. Brackney retired from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police after more than 30 years of service, rising through the ranks to serve as a commander overseeing major crimes, operations, special operations, administration, and crime analysis. During her tenure in Pittsburgh, she became the first African American woman in the country to oversee a Special Operations Division that included SWAT, Mounted Patrol, Accident Investigation, Hostage Negotiations, River Rescue, Traffic, and the Bomb Squad.
After her service in Pittsburgh, Dr. Brackney was appointed Chief of Police for the George Washington University Police Department in Washington, D.C., leading a campus agency in a large urban environment. She was later selected as Chief of Police in Charlottesville, Virginia, becoming the first Black woman to lead the Charlottesville Police Department and taking on the work of rebuilding public trust and advancing reforms.
Dr. Brackney is widely recognized for her expertise in harm reduction, procedural and restorative justice, and reshaping community–police relationships. She has been tapped by federal partners to address bias-based policing and hate crimes reporting. She has also served in academic roles, including as a professor and Distinguished Visiting Professor of Practice at institutions such as George Mason University, where her teaching and research focus on police legitimacy, transparency, and reimagining public safety.
She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and a Ph.D. from Robert Morris University. She is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, the Command Institute for Police Executives, and other leadership and public safety programs. Dr. Brackney regularly speaks in national forums on policing, race, structural inequity, and the future of public safety.
