Well-educated, well-prepared, and charming: Shirlene Anderson and RaShall Brackney

By Dr. Anne T. Sulton, Esq.

JA Senior International Correspondent

Each year during the month of March, we celebrate Women’s History. Two women assuming leading roles in Jackson’s history are Shirlene Anderson and RaShall Brackney.

In 2005, Anderson became the first female serving as Jackson’s chief of police. Nearly a quarter century later, in 2026, Brackney became the second.

Their historic journeys to Jackson’s police chief position are similar. College education, professional training, and decades of law enforcement experience prepared them well for the challenges awaiting them in this leadership role.

Anderson graduated from Mississippi Valley State University. She received professional training from the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration National Academy in Washington, D.C., and the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in Quantico, Virginia.

Brackney graduated from Carnegie-Mellon University and received her doctorate degree from Robert Morris University. She completed professional training offered by the Police Executive Research Forum, the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia, and several other entities.

Before serving as Jackson’s police chief, Anderson spent three decades working for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics. She started as an agent. Anderson was the first woman in the history of the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and the Mississippi Highway Patrol to rise to the rank of lieutenant colonel. 

Brackney spent three decades working with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. She also served as police chief for George Washington University and Charlottesville, Virginia. 

In addition to serving as Jackson’s police chief, Anderson has been active in the community. She has volunteered with her church and various civic organizations. 

Anderson’s policing style was visionary. With a smile, she advocated for fair policing, commitment to justice, and integrity.

During an exclusive interview last week, Brackney too stressed the crucial importance of integrity. When asked about her vision for the Jackson Police Department, Brackney smiled and explained that among her objectives are making the community feel safer, providing police officers with the technology and other tools they need to do their jobs, and reaching for the gold standard in policing. Brackney also said she will conduct a “salary analysis” and “put a budget forward” consistent with information obtained from the “salary analysis”.

Brackney’s vision includes reaching the gold standard in policing by aligning Jackson’s policing standards with the highest national standards. 

These two women made history in Jackson. We celebrate them during Women’s History Month.