The man who has served as Udall’s interim police chief since last summer will officially take over the lead role now that city council members have voted unanimously to hire him, according to Udall City Clerk Lulita Hopkins.
John Adams, a staff development specialist at the Winfield Correctional Facility, will serve as police chief on a part-time basis, according to Hopkins. Adams indicated last month the council was undecided whether to hire a police chief on a full-time or part-time basis due to budget constraints.
Adams worked as the interim police chief on a part-time basis after former Udall Police Chief Matt Dennis exited the job. After nearly a decade of service, Dennis and fellow officer Perry Lambert headed east for jobs with the Cherryvale Police Department.
Adams joined the Udall Police Department in 1996 as a part-time officer and took a four-year hiatus from the job when he served as a Udall city council member.
In December Mayor Chris Lette promised the city council would choose a new police chief by the end of the year. The process, however, took a little longer than expected. Adams was voted to the post during Monday night’s city council meeting, Hopkins said.
