Mississippi city’s chief of police to resign; final day on Monday

GLUCKSTADT, Miss. (AP) — The chief of the Gluckstadt Police Department is resigning.

Wendell Watts recently submitted his resignation and said his last day as chief of the city, located about 17 miles north of Jackson, will be on Monday. He told news outlets he couldn’t comment on his future plans.

Watts was named chief of police in February 2022. He was the first person to hold the position in the newly incorporated city and helped build the city’s police department from the ground up. His work included helping design the city’s first police station to drawing up the shoulder patch that goes on police officers’ uniforms. The department currently has 12 full-time officers, six part-time officers, and four or five reserve officers.

Watts was formerly a watch commander for the Madison Police Department as well as the director of security at Merit Health Central. He began his career in law enforcement with the Jackson Police Department in 1992. In 2012, Watts joined the Hinds County Sheriff’s Office as a captain.

A replacement for Watts has not been announced, though Watts said it likely will be Assistant Chief Barry Hale.

“I brought him on for the sole reason to follow me and take over after I left,” he said. “The department is in a great position for him to continue going in the direction we are going or to go in another direction.”