FORT SCOTT, Kan. — Jason Pickert, an 18-year veteran of the Fort Scott Police Department, was recently named the department’s new chief, the City of Fort Scott has announced. Pickert will replace Police Chief Travis Shelton, who is retiring, and will take over as FSPD chief on March 1.
“It is with great pleasure that I announce Jason Pickert as the new Chief of Police for the City of Fort Scott,” said Brad Matkin, interim city manager and director of HR for the City of Fort Scott, in a press release last week.
“We had some very good candidates, and I was very impressed with each of the candidates we interviewed. The interview panel and I feel Jason Pickert is the one that stood out among the rest and will do a great job. Pickert is a strong leader, decision maker, and a valuable resource. I look forward to working more closely with Jason and am excited to see what the future holds for the staff and the department.”
Pickert started his career with the Fort Scott Police Department in 2004, graduating from the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center in 2005. He was a patrol office from 2004 to 2006 before taking on the position of detective in the fall of 2006 and serving in that role for two years. Pickert was promoted to detective sergeant in March of 2008 and served in that role for over ten years before being promoted to captain in December of 2018.
Among many other certificates and continued education classes, Pickert graduated with a Certified Public Manager certificate in 2017 from the University of Kansas.