Jackson, Tenn. – City of Jackson, TN Police Chief Thom Corley has been recognized by the Tennessee Municipal League and will receive the Excellence in Police Services award “for dedicated efforts to connect with the community to provide better public safety outcomes for everyone.”
According to a TML press release, each year the TML honors cities throughout the state for overall excellence, improvement, specific outstanding programs, or department accomplishments. Award winners for 2025 include Chattanooga for Excellence in Energy Efficiency and Conservation; Cleveland for Excellence in Economic and Community Development; Farragut for Excellence in Innovation; Franklin for Excellence in Fire Services; Gatlinburg for Excellence in Municipal Governance; Greeneville for Excellence in Parks and Recreation; Kingsport for Excellence in Economic and Community Development; and Pulaski for Small City Progress.
Through collaborative and constitutional community policing, the Jackson Police Department works to enhance public safety by fostering strong relationships with citizens.
"The men and women of the Jackson Police Department work hard, serve with integrity, and strive each day to make our community a place where everyone feels safe," said Chief Thom Corley. "We are so honored to have been selected to receive this award and we will continue to serve the citizens of Jackson with continued innovation, accountability and professionalism."
"I would like to extend my congratulations to Chief Corley on receiving the Excellence in Police Services award from the Tennessee Municipal League," said Mayor Scott Conger. "Chief Corley's exemplary leadership of the Jackson Police Department and his unwavering dedication and service to our city are evident on a daily basis."
Under the leadership of Chief Thom Corley, the Jackson Police Department has made what it calls the Three C’s foundational to operations: community, collaboration, and constitutionality.
The community-based approach to policing focuses on building relationships with both individuals and organizations, including non-profits, houses of worship, businesses, school officials, and others in the communities they serve. JPD also hosts an annual Youth Police Academy each summer to build positive experiences between police and youth.
The team-oriented approach to address crime allows for collaboration with local, state, and federal authorities to leverage all resources for effective community protection. Internal collaboration between various divisions and officers also helps solve crime and keeps the lines of communication open on community issues. One notable example is the Blue Impact initiative, which apprehended some of West Tennessee’s most violent offenders through collaboration with multiple law enforcement entities.
An emphasis on constitutional policing trains officers to be the first defenders of the Constitutional rights of those they interact with, whether they are a victim, witness, or suspect. By focusing on these subjects, officers understand the principles and high expectations of them for community interactions and service delivery, putting the rights of individuals into the heart of each exchange.
Technology is also an important aspect of JPD’s mission. The department harnesses Flock technology and ShotSpotter to respond to incidents more quickly and save lives in critical moments. The department also utilizes the ATC’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to analyze data.
Accredited by the Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program, the department has partnered with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development to create the first police officer apprenticeship program in the state. Individuals aged 18 to 20 can participate in training and job shadowing to learn more about careers in law enforcement and streamline their process to become a sworn-in officer at age 21.
The department has also undertaken facility and comprehensive staffing studies to ensure employee needs are being met and officers have a focus on the public they serve. On the horizon, JPD is replacing its 50-year-old Public Safety Building with a new, state-of-the-art facility that will consolidate operations from five buildings to a single campus with new training spaces to enhance the ability to serve and protect.
The award will be presented Tuesday, Aug. 5, 2025, at the 85th Annual Conference of the Tennessee Municipal League (TML) held at the Chattanooga Convention Center.