NEWS RELEASE

For further information please contact: Capt. J. Tim Hull
(573) 526-6115
Q6092
June 8, 2009
EMPHASIS: Sergeant Charles E. “Charlie” Jones Retires

Colonel James F. Keathley, superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, announces the retirement of Sergeant Charles E. “Charlie” Jones on June 1, 2009, after 34 ½ years of dedicated service.

Jones was accepted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Law Enforcement Academy as a member of the 44th Recruit Class. He began training on January 1, 1975. After graduating from Academy, he was stationed at Troop B, Macon. He was assigned to the Hannibal Zone, which serves Marion and Ralls counties. Jones was the first African-American trooper assigned to Troop B, which serves 16 counties in Northeast Missouri.

Jones was promoted to corporal on June 1, 1989, and designated assistant zone commander of Zone 7, which serves Knox and Lewis counties. He was promoted to sergeant on October 1, 1994, and designated zone commander of Zone 7. He transferred to the Gaming Division on May 1, 2001, and was designated boat supervisor of the Mark Twain Casino in September 2003, where he remained until his retirement.

During his career with the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Sgt. Jones was assigned to several Missouri State Fairs, University of Missouri football details, and the John David Brown manhunt. He had the opportunity to attend the National Traffic Management Institute at the University of Central Missouri. He also attended an advance Child Abuse Investigative Training in Seattle, WA, in 1999.

During his tenure with the Patrol, Sgt. Jones was an avid recruiter, and is probably responsible for steering many toward a career with the Patrol. He enjoyed working with officers from all of the local, state, and federal agencies. Sgt. Jones described his years on the road as, “a mystery, because you never knew what was going to happen from day to day.”

Sgt. Jones was born in Dalton, NE, and was raised in Brookfield, MO. He graduated from Brookfield High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track. After graduating, he attended Central Methodist College in Fayette, MO, and Hannibal-La Grange College in Hannibal, MO. He earned a bachelor’s of science degree in criminal justice administration from Hannibal-La Grange College. Prior to joining the Missouri State Highway Patrol, he worked for the Missouri Department of Transportation.

Sgt. Jones is married to Kathy (Bryant), and they have a daughter, Haleigh, 13.