Mayor, senior officer supervising Brookshire Police Department as efforts are underway to find a new chief

By George Slaughter, News Editor
Posted 6/30/22

Brookshire Mayor Darrell Branch said efforts are underway to find a new police chief following the June 8 firing of Chief Brandal Jackson.

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Mayor, senior officer supervising Brookshire Police Department as efforts are underway to find a new chief

Posted

Brookshire Mayor Darrell Branch said efforts are underway to find a new police chief following the June 8 firing of Chief Brandal Jackson.

Branch spoke Thursday after a planned city council meeting was cancelled due to a lack of a quorum. Position 2 Alderman Lyndon Stamps and Position 1 Alderwoman Monique Taylor were not in attendance. Branch said four council members make a quorum.

Branch said he and Captain Oscar Garcia are overseeing the day-to-day operations of the department. Branch was police chief before he was elected in 2019, defeating then-Mayor Eric Scott.

Branch said while he hoped to have a new chief for council approval soon, the city wanted to find the right person for the job first.

The council, by a 3-2 vote, voted to fire Jackson for cause at the June 8 meeting, though it remains unclear just what the “for cause” is.

In comments he made before the council vote, Jackson told the council that it didn’t have to admit that his firing was for political reasons and implied that litigation was forthcoming.

“You don’t have to admit it here,” Jackson said. “You don’t have to admit it to me. But you will have to admit it under oath.”

Citing that pending litigation, Jackson and Branch declined comment on what, precisely, the cause of termination was.

Jackson’s LinkedIn profile said he became Brookshire police chief in October 2010 after having served as San Felipe police chief for the previous two years.

Jackson’s profile said he began his career in 1992 as a correctional officer with the Texas Department of Corrections. In 1988 he became a correctional officer with the Texas Youth Commission. In 2000, he joined the Austin County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy.

The council is to meet July 7 at the Brookshire Municipal Building, 4028 5th St. in Brookshire. On the agenda is an executive session where council members are expected to discuss the police chief position. The council is also expected to discuss the city secretary, municipal court director and public works director positions as well during that executive session.

City of Brookshire, Brookshire Police Department