Why James Hambrick's legacy as Mt. Juliet's police chief is like no other

As he prepares to retire after 11 years on the job, Mt. Juliet's Police Chief James Hambrick likes to think that coffee outings, social media and faith are what defines his legacy the town's top cop.

His race as a Black man leading law enforcement in a suburban city that is more than 81% white and 7% Black isn't as defining — at least not to him.

For Hambrick, perception is reality and that’s how he has tried to shape the view of the Mt. Juliet Police Department. His efforts have ranged from photo ops of officers buying lemonade from children's sales stands or enjoying doughnuts to social media posts about the department's the latest bust using the Guardian Shield license plate reader, technology that is considered controversial to some.

The department's path to identity hasn't come without pushback, but it’s one Hambrick stands on as he recalls a random traffic stop involving a stolen vehicle as an illustration.

“One of the people stopped made the statement, ‘I told them we shouldn’t go to Mt. Juliet,’” Hambrick, 62, recounts. “We are very community oriented. But make no mistake, we will get the bad guy.”

Sometimes social media posts and phrases like "Chief on the Beat," when Hambrick meets with the community, may seem a bit hokey, but they've also been popular, the chief says. So has the monthly meet and greet called Coffee With a Cop. It's held at different Mt. Juliet businesses and began in 2013 as a way for Hambrick and other officers to meet informally with residents.

"Such a way to connect with the community is definitely important for police work," said resident T.J. Kemp at a Coffee With a Cop event earlier this year that offered Community Strong bracelets and other Mt. Juliet police keepsakes.

"It helps people feel like they can trust the police officers. You can hang out with them, get to know them."

The crime rate in Mt. Juliet has dropped by 8% during Hambrick's tenure, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation data.

"Not every influential person in this community ... believed in proactive communication and transparency, and we were challenged very hard politically," said Captain Tyler Chandler. "Chief stood strong, always, because he knew it was the right direction. Today, many others now follow our lead."

A recording artist and a police chief? More about Hambrick

Hambrick’s journey to and through law enforcement is as eclectic as his life. He is an active ordained minister as well as a singer and musician who recently released a CD titled, ‘Somebody’s Gotta Tell Them.’

He began his career in law enforcement at 33 when he left a job working third shift at a Mt. Juliet gas station after being recruited by officers who stopped in the store.

He started as a dispatcher.

Years ago, Hambrick, caught up on office work, went out on patrol as the chief and answered a call to remove a homeless man in a wheelchair near the Interstate 40 interchange. He paid for the man's lunch and arranged to get him additional help so he could get where he was going.

Questions for Hambrick

Why has community policing been an emphasis for you?

“The criminal element of any community is only 1-2%. And so my goal and emphasis is how do we effectively engage the 98%, who, at the end of the day, are either going to have our back or not. How do we build a relationship with them? How do we connect with them?”

Describe Mt. Juliet’s use of social media to do police work?

“I’m not a big social media guy myself. But when I was appointed chief, I had a sit-down with now Captain Tyler Chandler … His influence and the way he knew about social media and the way he could navigate it … being able to sit down and communicate with him what my vision was and what my goal was and the direction to take the department … He started working on our social media presence; he started working on our ability to get information out … An informed community is a safe community … We’re not going to jeopardize any case; but we want our citizens to know what is going on in their city and their community.”

What's been your biggest challenge as chief?

“Personnel is what most chiefs would say. But we’ve been blessed. We haven’t had that as some departments have had. In our climate, a lot of people have help wanted signs...

“Another is being told, especially early-on from other agencies … (that) they didn’t like the way I gave out information (on social media) … As I told them, I don’t have to be chief where you are, I have to be chief here and we’re going to have to connect to our community. They weren’t doing it, and they didn’t feel we should be doing it … Our community needs to see law enforcement more than when they are addressing a call for service. Because when they are addressing a call for service, or a traffic stop … normally in that citizen’s mind – that’s a negative. We have to be connected to our community in more than those negative encounters … We want to put the facts out there and be open and transparent to the extent we can be of getting information out to our citizens. Not every other agency liked that approach.”

Do you feel you have a unique role as a Black chief of police?

“When we look at history and things like that, I understand that dynamic, but I didn’t look at it from a personal perspective. I just wanted to come in and be the best chief — not the best Black chief —just the best chief I could possibly be. But from a historical perspective, it’s not lost that a man of color is in this position. I pray the way I’ve carried myself and the way I live my life has inspired (others) not necessarily to be a police officer, but to excel in whatever career field you choose.”

James Hambrick file

• 1979: Stratford High graduate

• 1979-84: U.S. Navy

• 1985: Established janitorial service.

• 1989: Became ordained minister (first a licensed minister in 1986).

• 1994-95: Worked at Jim Dandy, which became Mapco, in Mt. Juliet.

• August 1995-January 1996: Dispatcher for the Mt. Juliet Police Department.

• January 1996: Hired as patrolman.

• May 2003: Opened private counseling service and left the force as a full-time officer, staying on as a reserve officer and chaplain.

• July 2003: Returned to the force full time shortly after Sgt. Jerry Mundy was killed in the line of duty.

• 2005: Earned Ph.D. in psychology after going back to school in 2001 while working third shift. Named assistant police chief.

• 2009: Graduated from Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command.

• December 2012: Named police chief.

What's next?

Hambrick is set to retire on Dec. 15, and Michael Mullins is set to replace him as chief. Chandler will become deputy chief. Both men are scheduled to be sworn in Dec. 11.

Hambrick will serve as grand marshal of Mt. Juliet's Christmas parade at 11 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 9.

He plans to become more involved in church ministry and will offer his services as a law enforcement consultant, he said.

The couple also has a great granddaughter on the way in September.

He also plans to spend time with his wife, Denise, their five children, 14 grandchildren and great-grandson.

Reach Andy Humbles at ahumbles@tennessean.com or 615-726-5939 and on X, formerly known as Twitter @ AndyHumbles.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Mt. Juliet police chief prepares to retire, talks legacy, next steps