Police chief sworn in
Staff writer
Marion city council members voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint a retired Kansas City, Missouri, police captain as the city’s top law enforcement officer.
Gideon Cody will make $60,000 a year as police chief.
Cody walked in to the council meeting with interim police chief Duane McCarty, who was one of three candidates interviewed for the position.
Part-time officer Chris Mercer, who also works as an investigator for the state’s fire marshal and as a part-time police officer in Hillsboro, also interviewed during back-to-back executive sessions April 20.
Marion has been without a permanent chief since late last year when Clinton Jeffrey resigned. McCarty stepped in as interim chief.
Assistant police chief Steve Janzen also resigned in December. Former full-time officer and canine handler Aaron Slater returned to the sheriff’s office.
McCarty and Zach Hudlin have been the only full-time officers since the spate of resignations.
Cody worked for the Kansas City police department for 24 years.
A social media page called “Marion Crime” sent messages to community leaders earlier this year urging them to support hiring Cody. Those messages said he had experience with special weapons and tactics and emergency response teams. Cody told the Record he did not have SWAT experience.
The city offered Cody the job the day after he and the other candidates interviewed. He confirmed to the Record that he had tentatively accepted, but the council did not formally hire him until Tuesday.