SE Alaska News

Juneau Chief of Police Ed Mercer has announced his retirement effective July 31, following over 30 years in law enforcement in Southeast Alaska.

“Chief Mercer is a true public servant,” said City Manager Rorie Watt. “He has always put the people of Juneau first and worked ceaselessly to build trust between the police department and the community they serve. We will miss him but wish him the very best in the next stage of his life and career.”

A lifelong Southeast Alaskan, Chief Mercer joined JPD in 2000 following eight years of service as a sworn officer in Sitka. After four years in the Patrol Division and the Drug Enforcement Unit, he quickly rose through the ranks to Patrol Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain of Operations, and Deputy Chief. He was appointed Chief of Police in July 2017. Read a full biography here..

In the six years since, Chief Mercer has led the Juneau Police Department with integrity and courage. He is committed to community policing principles and programs that foster relationships with the citizens of Juneau, continuing the annual National Night Out campaign to build police-community partnerships and reinstating a Citizens Academy program for members of the public to become more familiar with their police department.

Most recently, Chief Mercer and his team were responsible for JPD’s successful accreditation through the Oregon Accreditation Alliance after the State of Alaska’s program was discontinued. Achieving accreditation was a demanding multi-year process that was nevertheless a top priority for Chief Mercer in order to build trust, create accountability, and better serve the Juneau community.

Chief Mercer also led the way as the first Alaska Native to lead the Juneau Police Department. Chief Mercer is Tlingit, Raven Coho, and was recognized for his service to the community with the Alaska Federation of Natives 2021 Public Service President’s Award.

Juneau’s next Chief of Police will be selected through an open recruitment process that will allow participation from the public, the CBJ Assembly, and the Juneau Police Department. More information on the recruitment and selection process will be announced shortly.

Deputy Chief David Campbell will serve as interim Chief of Police. Deputy Chief Campbell is a lifelong Alaskan who has served with the Juneau Police Department since 1995. He assumed the role of Deputy Chief in 2017 and currently oversees operations for JPD.

Original source can be found here