Jesse Carr is a sergeant with the Southern Methodist University (SMU) Police Department in Dallas, Texas, and a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
In 2013, Jesse accepted a position with SMU as a 911 dispatcher. In July of 2016, the department sponsored him as a police cadet in the Cedar Valley College Law Enforcement Academy. On December 1, 2016, Jesse received his license as a Peace Officer in the State of Texas and graduated valedictorian and class sergeant from Cedar Valley. Four days later he was commissioned as a SMU Police Officer.
In May 2019 Jesse graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from SMU. During that time Jesse attended school full-time and part-time while working full-time and fulfilling his commitment to the Marine Corps. In the fall of 2020, Jesse was accepted as an MBA candidate in SMU’s Cox School of Business. He is still currently enrolled as a graduate student, working towards a master’s in business administration. As a military service member, Jesse volunteers in veterans’ affairs and serves as the Director of Communications for Heroes in Action, a Dallas based non-profit. He has also volunteered with Civil Air Patrol, the Marine Corps League and is a member of the SMU Military Veterans Student Organization.
In November of 2021 Jesse was promoted to the rank of sergeant with the department. Jesse serves as the director of community engagement and communications, and the PIO. He is a member of the honor guard, a Texas Commission on Law Enforcement Basic Instructor, a tactical medical and Stop the Bleed instructor, a firearms instructor, and a SWAT Operator on the department’s crisis response team. In 2017 Jesse was awarded the SMU Police Department Mark McCullers Officer of the Year Award.
In the fall of 2020, Jesse led the application for the SMU Police Department to become an Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) certified agency, resulting in SMU becoming one of the first campus law enforcement agencies in the country to be accepted into the program. Jesse took on an active role with the ABLE Project through Georgetown University Law School and assisted in training and instructing law-enforcement officers across the country. Since then, Jesse has remained active in instructing ABLE throughout North Texas.
Leading the department’s efforts in community engagement since 2020, Jesse has assisted in implementing a police community advisory board, he has worked closely with minority communities on campus to address police reform and policing concerns, and has focused the departments efforts to be transparent and immersive within SMU and the surrounding community.
Having started public information officer training at 17, Jesse also serves as the PIO for the police department. This includes working with local and national media, creating internal communications, and writing and assimilating reports and messages for sometimes as many as 17,000 recipients.
In October of 2022 Jesse was elected as the vice-chair for the public information officers section of the International Association for the Chiefs of Police, the largest police association in the world. Through this role Jesse serves nearly 300 communications professionals throughout the world, including messaging, training, and innovative policy recommendations.
Jesse’s Marine Corps awards include the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal, the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with a mobilization device, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Navy Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, the Selected Marine Corps Reserve Medal with a bronze service star, two Certificates of Commendation, and two Meritorious Masts. Jesse is also the recipient of four SMU Police Department commendations, and one certificate of merit.
To learn more about Jesse, review his resume, writing samples or contact him.
Jesse Carr 