Chaffee hires new police chief

CHAFFEE, Mo. -- The Chaffee City Council voted unanimously to hire a new police chief at its regular Monday meeting, forgoing its privelege to discuss the candidate behind closed doors.

The council accepted the recommendation of the city's Police Personnel Board to hire Jesse Chisum. Chisum has lived in Chaffee for more than six years, working as a patrolman for the Jackson Police Department during that time.

The 34-year-old Chisum has been married for 15 years and has a 10-year-old daughter. He has eight years experience in the U.S. Army preceding his police work. At Jackson Chisum was a senior officer in his squad, is certified in training other police and served on the city's SWAT team.

The council voted to accept the police board recommendation with little discussion, though some council members expressed optimism about Chisum.

Chisum said he knows the job won't be easy.

"From what I've been told, I've got my work cut out for me," Chisum told the council. "But give me some time and I'll make it right."

Normally the council would have heard the police board's recommendation in closed session, from which members of the public and media are barred. But because of the high profile of the city's police issues, the council decided to allow the public to hear the proceeding.

Chisum said his first order of business will be a review of department personnel and policies.

Chaffee still has other vacancies in its police department, but Mayor Loretta Mohorc said the council made finding a new chief its first priority.

The city has been without a chief since Martin Keys resigned last month. Chaffee still has to fill two or three patrol positions out of a field of more than 50 candidates. The council also hired a new dispatcher Monday, Kelley Smith, who also currently works for Jackson.