Nixa council appoints new Police Department chief

Joe Campbell’s interim title was removed after Nixa City Council voted to appoint him as chief of the Police Department.

Campbell was sworn in after the council vote last night. Nixa spokesman Drew Douglas said the vote was unanimous among the council members present — Scott Perryman was absent.

Serving in the interim since September 2018, Campbell succeeds Jimmy Liles, who replaced the retired Brian Bingle as city administrator.

Douglas said Campbell was the only person interviewed for the job. A national search was not conducted, he added.

“Joe’s demeanor, leadership skills and relationships with his department and the community are excellent. On top of that, he excelled as interim chief for over five months,” Mayor Brian Steele said in the release. “This decision was a no-brainer for council. We just want him to keep up the good work.”

A major who’s been with the department for 16 years, Campbell in 2011 was named Nixa Police Department’s Supervisor of the Year. He won a community service award in 2015 for his work with the Nixa Citizens Police Academy. His roles at the department have included detective, SWAT team member and instructor. He graduated from the Missouri Police Chiefs Association Command College in 2014.

The Police Department chief’s salary is $80,000, Douglas said.

“We have an excellent group of men and women at the department and I am proud to lead them,” Campbell said in the release. “I am dedicated to continuing the high standard of service our citizens have come to expect.”

Prior to joining the Nixa Police Department, Campbell was a patrol officer for nearly two years for the Branson Police Department.

Branson’s leadership ranks reflect a similar transition, as City Administrator Stan Dobbins previously served as Police Department chief. However, in that situation, the city went with an outside hire in Jeff Matthews to succeed him, according to past Springfield Business Journal reporting.