Let it be known, Chief Thom Corley and the officers of the Jackson Police Department observe Black History Month by recognizing and honoring the legacy of James Neal Cherry Jr. James Neal Cherry Jr. was the first uniformed black patrol officer of the Jackson Police Department who attained the rank of Deputy Chief of Police in 1988.
Chief Harvey Marcom with the support of Mayor George Smith showed remarkable courage when they hired James Neal Cherry Jr. as a uniformed police officer in 1964. During the 1960’s, Jackson along with the entire country was struggling with the Constitutional idea of equality and Civil Rights. James Neal Cherry Jr. evidently was an honorable man who possessed remarkable fortitude because history notes his challenges as a uniformed officer in both the black and white communities of Jackson, TN. As noted in the book titled “A Chronicle of Law Enforcement in the South” by Eddie M. Ashmore, James Cherry is quoted “I would like to become a police officer because I would like to have a part in protecting the community in which I live and I believe I can make it a better place to live.” (pg. 241) The book also notes James Cherry once arrested a black man for drunkenness on Sycamore Street, which was called the “Beale Street of Jackson.” When the black offender realized James Cherry was a black man, he stated “no black man was going to arrest him” and he jumped out the car.
Jackson Police Chief Thom Corley acknowledges, "Although I did not get the personal opportunity to work with Deputy Chief Cherry, I was honored to have met him prior to his retirement. Chief Cherry was very instrumental in dismantling barriers so others could follow, and his courage set the continuing standard that the only true color of the Jackson Police Department is Blue."
Deputy Chief Derick D. Tisdale acknowledges, “As the fifth black Deputy Chief of Police at the Jackson Police Department, I pay homage to Deputy Chief James Neal Cherry Jr. for his gallant sacrifices that helped pave the way for a position that I am honored to currently hold.”
The men and women of the Jackson Police Department remember Deputy Chief James Neal Cherry Jr.
