The City of Mont Belvieu has named Jimmy Ellison as its new Chief of Police. Ellison is currently the chief of the Abilene Christian University Police Department in Abilene, Texas; a post he has held since 2001.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected as the next Chief of Police for Mont Belvieu,” said Chief Ellison when asked about being chosen for the position. “I have been so impressed with the city and the growth, but most excited about the vision and forward thinking of the city leadership team. I look forward to working alongside the men and women of MBPD to continue to provide professional police services, and working with the citizens of Mont Belvieu to learn more about what they want from their police department as the city continues to grow.”
Mont Belvieu City Manager Nathan Watkins said he is very excited to have Chief Ellison join the City’s leadership team.
“We had many qualified candidates for the position, but we knew it was going to take just the right person to lead the police department as the city continues to grow. We feel that Chief Ellison’s breadth of experiences and vision as a leader make him the right fit to lead MBPD into the future,” Watkins said.
Chief Jimmy Ellison was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and worked for the Beaumont Police Department (BPD) from 1984-2001. His time at BPD was spent in a variety of roles ranging from patrol officer, field training officer, patrol sergeant, hostage negotiator, and finally as a supervisory sergeant in the Narcotics/Vice unit from 1996-2001. In 2001, Ellison accepted the position of Chief of Police at the Abilene Christian University Police Department (ACUPD) in Abilene, Texas.
For nearly 20 years, Chief Ellison oversaw the growth and development of ACUPD, tripling the size of the department and establishing ACUPD as a well-respected regional law enforcement partner.
Ellison and his wife Kathy have been married for 39 years and have three grown children and five grandchildren, all of whom live in the greater Houston area. Jimmy is excited about the opportunities at MBPD, as well as being close to his grandkids. He also very thankful to be back near saltwater fishing.
Ellison replaces long-serving MBPD Chief, Virgil Blasdel, who retired from the position in October after 36 years in law enforcement. Ellison will start with the City first quarter of 2021.