By Dewey Terrill
JC Post
Kirt Nichols has been appointed as Police Chief for the City of Junction City effective immediately. Nichols is a 33-year veteran of the Junction City Police Department and has served as Captain of Operations for the past 4 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 to serve as the Assistant Police Chief. This role is being recreated after a number of years to provide greater leadership and management of the department. Odell began as an officer with the Department in 2009, and was promoted to Sergeant in 2014, Lieutenant in 2016, and Captain in 2021.
The appointments follow the recent departure of former police chief John Lamb.