By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
La Marque Chief of Police Kirk Jackson has been a part of the La Marque community for a long time. He married his wife of 25 years at First United Methodist Church of La Marque. Together they have one son and one daughter.
“I love this community, throughout the years I’ve met some amazing people here,” said Jackson.
Living throughout the coast of California with his single mother for nine years provided Jackson a childhood filled with a continual supply of new friends and new experiences which developed in him a flexible attitude towards others. “People have to be willing to listen to other people even if they don’t agree with their opinion, they need to respect each other,” said Jackson.
The nonstop change-over of friends and schools finally came to an end when at age 12, Jackson asked if he could live with his father in Galveston. “Mom had just moved us three times in less than 12 months and I really wanted to have friends who I could keep,” he explained.
Moving in with his dad was a joy for both he and his father. Together they spent their free time fishing through the bays, bayous, and the Gulf. “My dad loved fishing and so do I,” said Jackson, who finished out his childhood in Galveston and is a 1989 Ball High School graduate.
Jackson attended College of the Mainland for a brief period, but didn’t find what he was looking for, so he enlisted in the Army Reserves. “Sitting on the floor at basic training, I realized the reserves is only part time and I had to make a plan for my life,” he said. “Right there, I decided I wanted to follow my grandfather and uncle’s footsteps in law enforcement.”
He had a “sit down” with his uncle who filled him in on the real world of police life.
“I wasn’t deterred,” said Jackson.
The police academy was his next stop. He was hired in 1994 as a La Marque patrol officer. Jackson moved up the ranks to Sargent and then Lieutenant. In November 2014, he was appointed to serve as assistant Chief of Police. By March 2015 he was appointed to his current position, Chief of Police for the city of La Marque.
One of Jackson’s greatest concerns for La Marque’s first responders is that they aren’t getting the help they need to stay healthy in a job that exposes them to trauma every day.
“We have ignored the stresses and the damage we are doing to ourselves as human beings. Officers need to learn how to live with the traumas. They need to be able to get mental health care without being perceived as weak,” said Jackson.
Jackson prepared data and presented to city administrators the need for counselors for all first responders. He is also developing an internal peer support program for officer to officer help.
“Because of the chief’s diligence, the city voted to fund for one counselor, but then we applied that money to a matching grant which will give us four counselors for around the clock help to our first responders,” said David Jordan, Assistant City Manager.
The grant is from the office of the Governor: First Responder Resiliency Program. Funds for the grant will be available this October.
“We fully anticipate the program will be funded by the grant,” Jordan added.
For now, all first responders do have access to several visits with a counselor at no cost via their employee benefits. “We encourage all of our officers to reach out for help,” said Jordan.
