A new Hiawatha Chief of Police has been hired.
Mayor Crosby Gernon and the city commission today ( Tuesday ) announced the selection of John Defore for the position, who has 20 years of law enforcement experience .
Detective Sgt. Defore comes to Hiawatha from the Wellington Police Department in south central Kansas where he has worked since 2002.
Prior to joining the Wellington Police Department, Defore worked for the Liberal Police Department for three years, Grant County, Oklahoma Sheriff’s Department for a year and Caldwell Police Department for three years.
Defore graduated from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in 1992 and is a 2002 graduate of Cowley County Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice. He is currently working to complete his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice through Friends University in Wichita.
Defore will be formally appointed and sworn in at the July 30th Hiawatha City Commission meeting. He will be available to meet the public during the city’s annual National Night Out on August 7th.
Defore was among six candidates interviewed by the city commission for the position.
He will replace Evans Woehlecke who announced in late April that he was stepping down as police chief after holding the position for 12 years. Woehlecke plans to continue serving as a patrol officer and is serving as interim chief until Defore’s appointment.
© Many Signals Communications
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