Terry A. Nichols was appointed as the next City of Brownwood Police Chief during this morning’s meeting of the Brownwood City Council. Nichols’ law enforcement experience spans more than 25 years in both municipal law enforcement and national program management. Nichols served the San Marcos Police Department for 21 years, retiring at the rank of Commander in 2010.  As Commander, he led and managed both Patrol and Criminal Investigation Divisions.  He also was Sergeant in the Training Division, Patrol Sergeant, and Narcotics Detective.  Nichols was a member of a multi-agency Hays County Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), of which he served a term as Commander.  As a member of the San Marcos PD and SWAT, Nichols saw the need for additional training for law enforcement in active shooter incidents.  He is a founding member of the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) program, which has become an internationally recognized training and development entity through Texas State University. Mr. Nichols retired from the SMPD to dedicate himself full time to ALERRT as the Assistant Director and the Director of Curriculum Development for over six years.  ALERRT has acquired over $50 million in grant funding and trained more than 90,000 officers.  He is a published author and speaker on active the shooter threat, training development and national response strategies.

Through the span of his career, Nichols has extensive experience collaborating and communicating with local law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and citizens. Nichols is known by his colleagues as a team builder, with the ability to bring people together for a common goal.

Nichols holds a Master Peace Officer Certification, a Bachelors in Criminal Justice and a Masters in Administration of Criminal Justice, both from Texas State University. He and his wife, Nicky, have been married for 25 years, and have two adult children.

Nichols first day as the Brownwood Police Chief will be July 5.