MINT HILL, NC – After many months of enduring multiple promotional processes, we are glad to have the opportunity to introduce our newest patrol Lieutenant Jacob Smith.
Lieutenant Smith has been with the department for 9.5 years rising through the ranks of Patrol Officer and Sergeant to his most recent promotion to the Patrol Shift B Lieutenant, where he is now the direct contact for all quality-of-life issues and crime trends for the department’s zone 4 patrol response area. His zone includes all Mint Hill jurisdiction northeast of the NC-51 and Lawyers Road intersection, which encompasses areas such as NC-218, Blair Road, and Cabarrus Road.
Lieutenant Smith expressed his first focus will be strategically working to reduce collisions and excessive speeding on NC-218, but he doesn’t shy away from growing into the mentor that he strives to be after learning from some of his supervisors that left an impact on his career development. Most recently, Lieutenant Smith achieved his Intermediate Certification from the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Standards Commission, which requires minimum years of service, education, and training.
Jacob was raised in a family who prides themselves on serving others; in fact, his father is a retired police officer from the Cabarrus County Sheriff’s Office. Thanks to his father, Jacob is grateful to have had the opportunity to do ride-alongs with deputies prior to going to the academy. However, Jacob was determined not to live under the shadow of his father and pursued work at a different agency than he did.
Outside of serving the community, Lieutenant Smith is an avid golfer who has played 150 rounds since the beginning of the year and is considered a scratch golfer with a handicap of +2. “We lean on Jacob heavily during the annual Chamber of Commerce golf tournament competing against the town’s departments,” says Lt. Gilman, ‘ but most importantly, we look forward to his progression as the mentor he strives to be and his approach to serving the community in a different capacity.”
