Jamison White has officially taken the helm as Maryland Heights’ new chief of police, raising his right hand during a City Council meeting on April 21. The longtime deputy, with more than two decades in law enforcement, steps into the top role in what city leaders describe as a steady handoff that keeps the department’s leadership rooted in familiar faces as the St. Louis suburb works through its public-safety priorities.
The department publicly announced the swearing-in in a Facebook post on April 23, noting that White "will guide the department forward with professionalism, accountability, and a continued focus on serving the community." According to the post by the Maryland Heights Police Department, the oath was administered at the council meeting in front of city officials and members of the police command staff.
From Deputy To Chief
White joined the Maryland Heights force in 2007 and moved up to Deputy Chief in October 2021, building on a policing career that started in Creve Coeur in 1998. As outlined in the City of Maryland Heights newsletter, his career includes time as a traffic and motorcycle officer, detective, road platoon sergeant and internal affairs commander. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy and the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command, credentials that helped position him to oversee training and internal investigations within the department.
A Fourth Chief In 40 Years
State records list Jamison White as acting chief earlier this spring, a step that came before his formal swearing-in. The Missouri Law Enforcement Agencies roster identifies the department’s leadership, and the department’s own announcement notes that White is just the fourth chief in the agency’s roughly 40-year history. He follows chiefs including Bill Carson, Neil Kurlander and Tom O'Connor. The transition comes after Chief Bill Carson’s retirement late last year and keeps the department’s command structure in the hands of familiar leadership.
What Officials Say And What's Next
City officials have stressed continuity and community-focused policing as White settles into the job. Maryland Heights planning documents point out that the police department is internationally accredited, a status the city highlights in its public-safety plans and reports. At the swearing-in, officials did not roll out any immediate policy changes, instead underscoring steady leadership and the continuation of existing community outreach programs as White assumes command.
