Scott Forster (left) is sworn in as Jamestown’s Police Chief and Ryan Rousch (right) is sworn in as Acting Fire Chief at the Jamestown City Council meeting on March 20, 2026.
Scott Forster has been sworn in as Jamestown’s new Police Chief.
Forster had been serving as the interim chief since the beginning of February when previous Police Chief Tim Jackson retired. Ryan Rousch also was sworn in as Acting Fire Chief at the Jamestown City Council voting session held Monday night.
Both were appointed in their roles following the passage of a local law that brought back the title of Police Chief.
In 2002, then Mayor Sam Teresi created the Director of Public Safety title as an administrative position that oversaw both the Police and Fire Departments.
The reinstatement of the Police Chief title is intended to reinstate the former structure and separate the departments.
Mayor Kim Ecklund said the departments had requested that the titles of Police and Fire Chief be brought back. She said when it came to the hiring for Police Chief, it’s always best when there’s a qualified internal candidate, “Unfortunately, it’s a field and profession not many are joining right now. And, it’s clear in the leadership, if you look across the county and the state, I think you’ve seen a mass exodus of chiefs recently. And that was more concerning to me than anything. To have somebody internally who wants to do the job and is willing to stay, who’s vested in the town is a big part of it.”
Forster had most recently held the title of Deputy Police Chief. Adam McKinley has now been promoted to the title of Deputy Police Chief.
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