Jack Nelson continues family legacy in T-burg police

Editor’s note: In last week’s Trumansburg Connection, “Funky Fungi” author Sue Heavenrich was incorrectly quoted as saying that Steve and Anne Sierigk, who cultivate mushrooms in Trumansburg, are her friends. Heavenrich interviewed the couple for her book but did not partner with them nor visit their farm. This error has been corrected in the online version of last week’s story.

Continuing the legacy of community support and service that his family is known for, Officer Jack “JB” Nelson has become one of the newest members of the Trumansburg Police Department.

Nelson is the son of the late J. Diann Sams, Ithaca city alderwoman and leader and advocate for Ithaca African Americans and people with disabilities.

“I had started with the Ithaca Police Department (IPD) in 1999 and retired in 2019,” Nelson said. “After a year and a half off, my brother, Joe, who is the chief of the Trumansburg police, asked me if I wanted to come back and join the Trumansburg Police Department.”

Former New York State Trooper and current Trumansburg Police Chief Joe Nelson asked his younger brother to return to law enforcement during a time of national contention.

“My brother had asked me if I wanted to come back to law enforcement right after the death of George Floyd. He told me that I didn’t have to,” Nelson said. “I’m comfortable with how I police and what I do, so I decided to join the Trumansburg department.”

A native of Ithaca, Nelson graduated from Ithaca High School and then attended Herkimer Community College.

“I decided to leave college and join the workforce,” Nelson said. “I was working as an officer at Ithaca College when I got the call from IPD. I had been hopeful that I would hear from them, and when I got the call, I immediately joined the department.”

Nelson became invested in the community early in his career, working with the Southside Community Center, the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) and other local community organizations.

“I volunteered for a collection of specialty assignments while working primarily in the patrol division,” Nelson said. “I was a member of the Crisis Negotiation Team, the Bike Patrol Unit, the Commons Unit, the Honor Guard and the Recruitment Committee.”

In addition to the many community service roles Nelson filled, he was also a member of the Board of Directors of the Suicide Prevention Committee and a train-the-trainer instructor for the Enough Abuse Tompkins campaign. He also served as a SWAT team member from 2003 to 2006.

Nelson was a recipient of the police act of valor award and the Frank G. Hammer Police Officer of the Month award for stopping an armed robbery in progress and the Henry Highland Garnet Lodge, Dorianthia Chapter Award for outstanding contributions to the community.

“I got the title of JB because of my IPD colleagues,” Nelson said. “Half of them called me Jack, and the other half called me Brad. One day, a fellow officer looked at me and laughed and said that he was just going to call me JB from now on. It stuck.”

Nelson has settled into the village of Trumansburg and has grown to love interacting with his new community.

“I go down to Gimme! Coffee in the morning and talk to, what we call, the breakfast club. They are fun group of regulars that are there in the morning,” Nelson said. “I’ll grab a coffee and muffin and then head out and travel around the village and start my day. It’s a refreshing change from what’s going on down in Ithaca.”

As police reform and scrutiny continue to evolve nationwide, Nelson rejoined law enforcement in a time of great change.

“I’m obviously a Black man living in America. Do I think we need to do things differently? Yes I do,” Nelson said. “I think we need better vetting of future police officers and that we need additional training to learn more ways to interact with the community.”

Reflecting on over two decades of service in Tompkins County, Nelson feels that opportunities for change in policing have been neglected by city government and were ignored by former Mayor Svante Myrick, who launched an unorthodox initiative to radically change policing in Tompkins County.

Addressing the nationally reviewed Reimagining initiative, Nelson said that too many opportunities for change were ignored prior to the radical launch of the initiative, with many valuable opportunities missed and wasted.

“I can think of four African-American officers in the county that were good, skilled and talented people that I believe were systematically denied the opportunity by Mayor Myrick to effect the change that is now being proposed with the initiative,” Nelson said. “I believe that IPD and surrounding agencies have a lot of good people there and that these four officers specifically were never allowed to be in a position to do anything to effect the change that the city wishes to see happen now.”

Nelson continued.

“The dedication to their profession, combined with the limitations the county imposed on them, ended up resulting in them taking their talents elsewhere,” he said. “I feel these officers are doing the type of policing in different departments and different counties that the Reimagining committee now wants here. It’s a huge loss to the community and it’s completely unfair. Sometimes, when I get my coffee, I hear things on the radio about what’s going on with my colleagues down in Ithaca, and it’s so sad.”

Settling into Trumansburg, Nelson enjoys working with his brother and hopes to work with the department to recruit a few more officers.

“I love the people and the atmosphere in Trumansburg and have been greeted with open arms,” Nelson said. “I was happily surprised to see so many Black Lives Matter signs throughout the village. It’s so conscientious and refreshing. It makes me feel good. I feel so welcomed by Trumansburg and I look forward to keep doing what I’m doing and having this opportunity to make a positive difference here.”

Trumansburg Connection appears every Wednesday in Tompkins Weekly. Send story ideas to editorial@VizellaMedia.com.