Published on June 25, 2021
The Huntsville Police Department (HPD) promoted three lieutenants with over 60 years of combined law enforcement experience to the rank of captain on Friday, June 25.
In a special ceremony at Town Hall, Lt. Jon Ware was promoted to Captain of the new Occupational Standards and Training Division, Lt. Jesse Sumlin was promoted to Captain of the North Zone, and Lt. Jerry King was promoted to captain of the southern zone.
The new captains will serve as commanders in different areas of the department, lead the patrollers, investigators and academy staff, and work closely with the deputy chiefs and the chief of police. The Professional Standards and Training Division will focus on hiring the most qualified candidates through recruitment, training and compliance with the Law Enforcement Agency Accreditation Commission (CALEA), written guidelines and City of Huntsville policies and procedures.
“The teamwork of HPD command staff is essential to providing the professional service expected of a modern police service,” said Chief Mark McMurray. “These new Captains have a wealth of experience as well as unique ideas on how HPD can excel in community policing. “
Captain Jerry King will assume the duties of Commander of the South Enclosure. He began his career with HPD in 1996 after joining his ranger program as a teenager and being named Ranger of the Year. King spent his first 10 years with HPD as a patrol officer. As a sergeant, King served as a training supervisor at the Police Academy and a patrol supervisor. Previously, he was a team commander as a lieutenant for the southern enclosure, deputy commander of the STAC unit, and most recently the commander of the HIDTA anti-drug task force of northern Alabama. King, who has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, has extensive experience in helping to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and seize illegal drugs.
Captain Jesse Sumlin, who will serve as the Commander of the North Precinct, began his ministry career in 1995 as a Patrol Officer and a member of the Bike Unit and Honor Guard. Prior to being chosen as the department’s public information officer, Sumlin was a lieutenant in North Precinct. During his career with HPD, Sumlin was also a member of the United States Army Reserve (USAR) and deployed twice, once as the commander of Operation Iraqi Freedom and later as a liaison officer to the Iraqi government. He retired from the USAR in 2019 at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Sumlin has a bachelor’s degree in marketing.
Captain Jon Ware will oversee accreditation, internal affairs and the Police Academy. Ware joined the department in 2000 as a third generation police officer and worked in the three HPD constituencies and served as a patrol supervisor on three shifts. He spent six years as a K-9 officer, was a bomb squad sergeant and lieutenant, and was a community resource officer sergeant. He is currently the Director of the Crisis Intervention Training Program (CIT) and was one of the first certified mental health workers for the department. He also worked as a police instructor and most recently was HPD’s director of internal affairs. Ware, who earned a bachelor’s degree in commerce with a minor in management, applied to the FBI National Academy.
King, Sumlin and Ware join Captains Jeffrey B. Rice Sr., Michael T. Johnson, Mike Izzo, Juan Joyner and Deputy Chiefs Kirk Giles, Scott Hudson, Charles Brooks and DeWayne McCarver as HPD command staff .
HPD has over 700 sworn and civilian employees who work to keep the community safe. With the continued growth of the department, the new captains will help the divisions operate more efficiently and increase both accountability and collaboration of resources.
