By Steve Neavling
A 26-year veteran of the FBI is about to become a police chief in Mississippi.
The Tupelo City Council on Tuesday voted to confirm Mayor Todd Jordan’s nomination of John Quaka to serve as the city’s top cop.
“Twenty-six years of law enforcement, not one negative comment from anyone I’ve talked to that I’ve reached out to or people have reached out to me,” Jordan told WTVA-TV. “I think his clean record speaks for itself.”
Quaka will be in charge of an $11 million police budget, which includes about 120 employees.
Councilwoman Rosie Jones urged Quaka to increase diversity within the police department.
“I’m all about diversity and treating everyone fairly,” Quaka said “I told the search committee that there’s a lot of things the (FBI) does not do right. But what they do right is diversity. Everyone is treated the same. That’s what I bring.”
Quaka will replace Police Chief Bart Aguirre, who retired over the summer.
Quaka joined the FBI in 1995, when he served in the Los Angeles Division. He then worked out of the Greenville office and the Tupelo office. He now works in the Oxford office and has been a Tupelo residents for 20 years.
