Trustees promote Nichols to Boardman police chief

STAFF REPORT

BOARDMAN — Jack Nichols officially has the Boardman Police Department’s highest rank.

Township trustees voted 3-0 Wednesday to promote Nichols to police chief. He has been with the Boardman Police Department for more than 30 years.

“It’s a good opportunity to help pay back the department and the community for what’s going on 32 years, for what they’ve given me,” Nichols said.

He had been named acting chief last month.

Nichols replaces former chief Patrick Berarducci, who had served as chief position since February 2007. Berarducci resigned last month to take the top job with the Medina Police Department.

Hired in January 1978, Nichols has also held the positions of lieutenant, sergeant and, most recently, captain. He has led both the patrol and detective divisions.

Nichols has a bachelor’s degree in criminal science from Youngstown State University and is a graduate of the FBI Academy.

He said his biggest challenge is to make sure the department operates under the budget to avoid future layoffs or difficult decision-making.

“I have to learn a little bit about the financial picture,” he said. “Probably the biggest thing we need to learn is how to operate on a budget the township can afford and not what it’d like to have.”

The department is made up of about 40 of the finest there are, Nichols said.

“They do a great job,” he said of the officers. “They hit it every day, and they do a great job. We have a lot of smart people” on the force.

Nichols will be sworn in at the next board meeting, 5:30 p.m. Sept. 23.