Holbrook Police Chief Mark Jackson announced his retirement date at the Feb. 27 city council meeting. “This is kind of hard for me,” said Jackson, “but tonight I am going to give my advance notice that I will submit my packet for retirement on May 12. I encourage the city manager to start advertising for my position and get the process going.”

Jackson has served the city as police chief for the past nine years. Prior to being hired as chief, Jackson served eight years in the military, over two years with the Navajo Tribal Police, and more than 11 years with the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office.

With the departure of an officer to the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office and the two lateral officers the department was looking to hire, Jackson said he has pulled all officers out of the specialty divisions and put them on the road to cover the shortages.

“The lateral officers that had applied decided to stay with their current agencies giving no indication as to why other than personal reasons,” said Jackson.

The two recruits that began academy in February have been cleared and approved by Arizona Peace Officer Standards and Training Board (AZPOST). “It looks pretty promising from those two,” said Jackson. He is hoping to have another recruit start academy in March before AZPOST changes their budget funding.

Jackson also informed the council that he received an email from AZPOST announcing that in the coming months they will cease to fund recruits when they go to the academy. “That’s going to make it hard for agencies since AZPOST pays for housing and other costs. It makes it important to get the academy in Snowflake going,” he said.

On a positive note, Jackson said the implementation of Lexipol is at the 90 percent mark. “We are right on schedule for the end of March completion,” Jackson said.

Jackson also noted that his officers have been working to clear the remaining graffiti from the city. The last remaining area is next to the Empty Pockets Saloon. “The owner has agreed to let us paint over it with a gray paint to match what is already there,” Jackson noted.

In other business, the council agreed to continue the agreement with Navajo County Community College District for the Northeastern Arizona Law Enforcement Training Academy in Snowflake for another three years.