Meet Joplin’s new Chief of Police
Joplin City officials, Joplin Police staff, City employees, and community members welcomed Rich Pearson as Joplin’s new Police Chief today. Pearson was sworn in to serve in his new role by City Clerk Holly Nagy.
During his swearing in ceremony Chief Pearson noted his goal is to serve as a proactive chief to both his officers and the public, “I went though several chiefs back home, and you would see a new chief get sworn in and nobody would see them again…I don’t plan on being that way. You’re going to see me out at grocery stores, in the parks, movie theaters, wherever you guys are. I’m going to be doing the same things you guys are doing. So please don’t hesitate to come up to me, shake my hand, introduce yourself, and tell me your concerns.”
Chief Pearson also took the time to address his officers directly saying, “As Chief of Joplin Police that is an administrative position, but I do not plan to sit in the office all the time. There’s going to be times when you guys see me out riding around, making runs with you…I’m not going to sit back behind my desk and throw out orders and expect everybody to follow my direction. I’m going to be out there leading from the front.”
Pearson recently served as Captain of the Jefferson County Public School System Police Department in Louisville, Ky. He served 22 years in the Louisville Metro Police Department and taught in the Criminal Justice Department of Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg, IN.
He holds a Master of Science and a bachelor’s degree in justice administration from the University of Louisville. He graduated from the FBI’s National Police Academy in Quantico, VA, and the Southern Police Institute in Louisville. He recently received his Doctorate in Criminal Justice at Saint Leo University in St. Leo, FL.
Joplin City Manager Nick Edwards welcomes Chief Pearson to the City, “Chief Pearson’s experience in public safety is a strong quality along with his leadership skills,” said Edwards. “He has served in various roles, and his knowledge and issue management provides a solid foundation to address issues in our community while also improving our Police Department’s delivery of services.”
Edwards also noted his appreciation for Assistant Chief Brian Lewis, who served as the Interim Chief. “I’d like to recognize Brian Lewis for his service as interim Chief. Serving in an interim role is difficult. As interim, the job is to maintain services and lead in a way that makes a transition easy. Brian did exactly that, which shows his love for the department and community. Brian and his team were able to start a conversion to a new CAD/RMS system, organize bridge dedications for our fallen heroes, and complete a budget. Chief Pearson will certainly have a good head start on his work here in Joplin.”