James Wakefield serves as a Tucson Police Department Assistant Chief, overseeing the Patrol Services Bureau. He has served the Tucson community for more than 26 years. Before beginning his law enforcement career, he graduated from Tucson High School and served in the United States Army.
Assistant Chief Wakefield has more than eight years of command experience, including three years as a lieutenant and more than five years as a captain. During his tenure as a lieutenant, he served as a patrol commander on Tucson’s west side and as the Executive Officer for the Patrol Services Bureau Assistant Chief. Before promoting to lieutenant, he served nearly 13 years as a sergeant, supervising investigative and operational assignments including Robbery, Office of Professional Standards (formerly Internal Affairs), Auto Theft, and the Community Response Team.
As a captain, Assistant Chief Wakefield led the Central Investigations Division, Operations Division East in the Patrol Services Bureau, and the Office of Professional Standards. Most recently, he served as Commander of the Counter Narcotics Alliance, a multi-agency partnership focused on disrupting drug-trafficking organizations and reducing drug-related violence through intelligence-driven enforcement and strong collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.
Assistant Chief Wakefield holds a Bachelor of Science in Homeland Security and Emergency Management from Grand Canyon University. He is a graduate of the Senior Management Institute for Policing (Class 80) and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. He has also completed the University of Arizona Eller College of Management's Foundations of Leadership and Public Sector Leadership programs.