Bethel’s public safety department has had a sudden change in leadership.
On Sept. 8, Bethel City Manager Lori Strickler announced that Jeff Kirkham, currently the second in command in the department, would be taking over as acting director. The public safety department oversees the city’s police and fire departments.
The previous Director of Public Safety, James Harris, is no longer with the the department, the city clarified on Sept. 9. Both Strickler and Harris declined to comment on Sept. 8.
Harris started as the head of the department of public safety in July 2024. Harris’s predecessor, Bethel Police Chief Leonard “Pete” Hicks, also left the position after just over a year.
