The mayor of Franklin has gone outside the police department in his search for the right leader to move the department forward, and has named a sheriff’s deputy who has built his career most recently investigating sex crimes and child abuse.
Kirby Cochran has been named chief of the 50-member Franklin Police Department after Mayor Steve Barnett interviewed 11 candidates for the job, including seven members of the police department who were mostly sergeants or lieutenants.
He chose Cochran because of his range of experiences and because he felt assured during the interview that Cochran had the vision and energy and a fresh perspective to move the department forward, Barnett said.
Cochran said this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be police chief in his hometown. He wants to help officers achieve their goals, remind them of their initial excitement at becoming police officers and use reviews and improvement plans to make the department more professional. He has a lot to learn, and promises to listen, he said.
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“Everyone needs to be a part of what we’re trying to build here,” Cochran said.
Cochran has been a sheriff’s deputy, working on the road and then as a detective, for the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office for 13 years. He sought the Republican nomination for Johnson County sheriff in the primary earlier this year, but did not win.
That’s when he became interested in being chief of Franklin police after current chief Tim O’Sullivan retires, which was initially expected in 2020. Barnett became more acquainted with Cochran when he took office as mayor in January 2017. He supported Cochran, a Franklin resident, for sheriff, and the two have conducted campaign events together. The sheriff’s race was on the ballot this year; Barnett will be on the ballot in the Franklin mayor’s race in 2019.
Since Cochran was hired from outside the department, he serves at the mayor’s pleasure. If a different mayor is elected, or Barnett chooses to replace Cochran in the future, he would not remain a police officer for the city.
Barnett said that he learned much about the department and its officers during the interview process, and that many of the current officers were qualified for the job. But he said it was time for a new perspective and a chief with an open mind and he believes Cochran can make the department stronger. He is asking the police department to support his choice and work with Cochran.
He points to Cochran’s range of experiences and training, and said that he can groom the many officers who have five years or less of experience. Barnett said Cochran is a natural leader who is vested in the community. His experience is needed to replace what the department is losing through O’Sullivan’s retirement, Barnett said.
At the sheriff’s office, Cochran is a deputy, which means he did not attain rank and supervise other officers. Cochran said he chose not to pursue rank because it likely would have meant moving to a patrol job on the night shift, and giving up specialized work as a sex crimes detective, where he made a difference and was successful.
But he did recruit and supervise employees in his previous work. He was manager of the Johnson County Work Release Center when it opened in 1994, and stayed in that job until 2001, when he became chief of operations at Liberty Hall, a work release center in Indianapolis. He stayed in that position until 2005, when he became a full-time sheriff’s office deputy.
As chief, Cochran will consider conducting town hall-style meetings and other initiatives to get the officers in front of the public even more. He wants the department to be a model agency known for its talent, skill, ability and knowledge.
Cochran plans to immediately begin meeting with officers and determining who will serve as deputy chief and other administrators and form a committee to review and update the department’s standard operating procedures. He wants to bring back the training coordinator position, and create an appointed captain position. Eventually, a reserve officer program could be added that would serve as a feeder program when the department has openings.
Cochran promises to quickly address any issues or conduct that are detrimental to the department or the morale of officers, and be consistent and fair to all officers. He wants officers to be supported, whether they are dealing with the aftermath of a horrific crime or problems at home or through acknowledging their achievements.
“I am thrilled to work alongside the excellent men and women of the Franklin Police Department. Together we can make the department a model for agencies across the state. More importantly, along with the community, we can continue to make Franklin a safe place to raise our children,” Cochran said.
The chief’s position became open when O’Sullivan decided to retire early as a result of an inquiry into his and the deputy chief’s actions following a pursuit an officer was involved in earlier this year.
Cochran will earn $70,534 as chief. He will be sworn in at the city council meeting on Aug. 20 and begin work on Aug. 21. The department was officially informed of the choice in a meeting on Thursday evening.
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Name: Kirby Cochran
Residence: Franklin
Family: Wife, Lori, and two grown children, plus one daughter who lives at home
Previous job: Detective at the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office
Educational background: Graduate of Franklin Community High School, Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and the academy’s jail officer school and Indiana Department of Correction Field Officer Training Academy. Also studied criminal justice at Kaplan College.
Memberships: Founder and president of Friends for Life, member of Fraternal Order of Police #154, Emmanuel Church, Indiana Sheriff’s Association, KIC-IT, Johnson County Sheriff’s Ride, Franklin Rotary Club, Indiana Association of Hostage/Crisis Negotiators, advocate and volunteer for the Indiana Donor Network.
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