PARIS, TN —The city of Paris has announced that Police Chief Ricky Watson has decided to retire after almost 30 years with the department. The City of Paris and Chief Watson have come to an agreement that is mutually beneficial and will allow him to reach retirement with a full 30 years of service. His retirement date will be July 31.
City Manager Kim Foster said, “City of Paris Police Chief Ricky Watson served the city well for almost 30 years in a variety of positions. For the past five years he has served as Chief of Police. Chief Watson is highly regarded for his years of service. Recently, however, I determined that the Police Department needed directional change and that it was necessary to identify new leadership for this purpose. After discussing this with Chief Watson, his decision was to retire.”
Foster told HenryCountyNow that she met with members of the police department last night to give them the news.
Responsibilities for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Paris Police Department will be assumed by Assistant Chief Ean Reed, who has agreed to fill the role of Interim Police Chief. “A decision has not yet been made as to when we will open the position and begin the process of selecting a new Police Chief,” she said.
Ricky Watson began his career in Law Enforcement with the Henry County Sheriff’s Office in 1996. He began his employment with the City of Paris Police Department in November of 1999 and served in many different roles within the department. Positions that he held during his time with the department include Patrol Officer, K-9 Handler, Criminal Investigator, Narcotics Investigator with the Metro Crime Unit, Lieutenant of Investigations, Captain of the Paris Police Operations Unit, Assistant Chief of Police, and he began his role as the Chief of Police for the City of Paris in 2021.
Chief Watson attended various police related training courses and leadership classes during his career. He was named the Paris Police Department Officer of the Year twice, in 2002 and again in 2015.