RUSK —  Jamie Campbell, an able lieutenant to retired lawman Joe Evans who rose up through the ranks, has formally accepted his mentor's mantle as the city's police chief.

Evans, who is in his late 60s, resigned from the Rusk Police Department in early January. City officials characterized his departure as a "quasi-retirement." This month he was slated to begin  work as  jail administrator for the Nacogdoches Sheriff's Department.

"Last Thursday the city council voted me in as Chief and of course I’m very happy and pleased with the council’s decision," Campbell explained in an email interview Thursday. "As you know Joe Evans was the Chief before me and I’ve been fortunate in the fact that he left the department in good shape. I’m looking forward to getting started in my new position and serving the citizens of Rusk and working with a great group of officers."

Campbell has been serving as acting chief of police since Evans' departure and was second-in-command to Evans for several months prior to that.

Evans was a trooper for the Texas Department of Public Safety from 1967 to 1983. He was with the 145th Judicial District Attorney's Office from 1984 to 1985 and was the sheriff of Nacogdoches County from 1985 to 2001. Additionally, Evans was with the Nacog-doches County Con-stable's Office from 2001 to 2003. He worked as a Cherokee County District Attorney Investigator from 2003 to 2009.

Campbell – in his mid 40s – has been a member of the department for over five years and worked his way up through the ranks over the years.  

He started his law enforcement career with the Jacksonville PD as a patrolman from 1991 to 1995. He went on to become a Texas Depart-ment of Public Safety Trooper, doing highway patrol from 1995 to 2005.

Next came a stint with the Rusk County Sheriff's Office as a narcotics investigator from 2006 to 2007.

When he joined the Rusk Police Department in 2007, he hit the streets as a patrolman, then was promoted to sergeant, then lieutenant, then acting chief and – of course – now chief.

His game plan from his new position?

As Campbell has continually stated, it is "to serve the citizens of Rusk and keep them safe."