By Payton Tholstrup
In a press release on April 23rd, it was announced that Kirt Nichols has been appointed as the new Police Chief in Junction City effective immediately. Nichols has been with the Junction City Police Department (JCPD) for 33 years and served as Captain of Operations for the past four years. He also served as interim Police Chief for four months in the fall of 2019.
City Manager Allen Dinkel said, “Chief Nichols is an obvious choice for this position as he has had a long career of serving Junction City and brings the needed attributes to lead the Police Department at this time. He is well respected by his peers and will serve as a positive leader for the officers that serve the City.”
Cory Odell has been named the Assistant Police Chief. In the release, it was stated that this role is being recreated to provide greater leadership and management of the department. Odell has been with JCPD since 2009 when he started as an officer. He was promoted to Sergeant in 2014, Lieutenant in 2016, and Captain in 2021.
