Prairie Village Deputy Chief Eric McCullough is set to become the city’s next police chief.
The Prairie Village City Council on Monday in a 9-0 vote approved Mayor Eric Mikkelson’s recommendation to appoint McCullough to the soon-to-be vacant police chief position. Councilmembers Cole Robinson, Dave Robinson and Ian Graves were absent.
After winning the Nov. 5 election, current Chief Byron Roberson is leaving his position after four years to become the next Johnson County Sheriff.
“It feels really good,” McCullough told the Post in an interview following his appointment. “It’s humbling. It’s a privilege to be asked to serve, in this capacity, the citizens of Prairie Village and the members of the police department.”
McCullough’s appointment is effective starting Jan. 2, 2025.
A look back at McCullough’s time with Prairie Village
- McCullough has been with the Prairie Village Police Department for 22 years.
- He holds a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Truman State University and a master’s degree in business administration in strategic management from Baker University, according to city documents.
- In the past two decades, McCullough has moved up the ranks from a field training officer and detective, to a sergeant in 2015.
- He was promoted to captain in 2020 and then to deputy chief in March 2024.
McCullough currently commands the department’s critical incident response team, as well.
‘I like being able to help people’
- McCullough said he feels prepared to “hit the ground running without too much of a learning curve,” crediting Roberson for allowing command staff like himself to be involved in decisions and discussions.
- As police chief, McCullough said he wants to focus more on training as well as the police department’s internal leadership development as a way to attract and retain police officers.
- McCullough said he enjoys helping others, and he wants Prairie Village residents to know they can go to him or to the department in their time of need.
- He also likes helping fellow police officers, and sees his new role as chief of police as a way to help officers get the resources they need to do their best job.
- “I like being able to help people,” McCullough said. “I like being able to help our officers and our dispatchers and all the other members of the department. You get greater opportunities to do that when you’re a little bit higher in the department and influence a little bit more.”
McCullough is the eighth police chief in the city’s history
- McCullough told the Post that he has worked for four of the previous police chiefs, including Roberson, current Assistant City Administrator Tim Schwartzkopf and current City Administrator Wes Jordan.
- After his promotion to sergeant in 2015, McCullough realized becoming a police chief was not only possible but also something that he wanted to pursue.
- The Monday night appointment approval paves the way for McCullough to become the city’s eighth police chief in its history.
- “It’s humbling, it’s much appreciated the confidence the council, the mayor and the city has in me,” McCullough said, adding that he has “great mentors” and “big shoes to fill” in the short list of Prairie Village police chiefs.
‘It couldn’t have been a better, seamless transition’
- During his appointment remarks, Mikkelson said the city anticipated the possibility of needing to replace Roberson.
- Mikkelson said that’s why McCullough was moved into the deputy chief position in March.
- Aside from his experience with the police department and education, Mikkelson said McCullough “and his family are very much part of the fabric of our community here in Prairie Village.”
- “It couldn’t have been a better, seamless transition — from my perspective — to have the deputy chief so ready for this leadership position and ready to step into the shoes with all the respect of the department, and enthusiastic recommendations from our City Administrator Wes Jordan (and) our outgoing Chief Byron Roberson,” Mikkelson said on Monday.
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