There are 20 people employed at the Fort Scott Police Department. One long-serving officer will retire and one will be promoted to replace him, according to the police chief.

“Shaun West is retiring on December 21, 2018,” Police Chief Travis Shelton said. “Jason Pickert has been promoted to Police Captain and will assume his new assignment upon Shaun’s retirement.”

Captain Shaun West began his career at the Fort Scott Police Department as a reserve officer in 1990.

In 1993 he was hired on full-time.

“I have been a reserve officer, patrol officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain”, West said.

After 28 years in Bourbon County, West is retiring from the FSPD and has moved to Linn County.

“I have moved into Linn county where my wife is a deputy, my brother is a chief and my son is an officer,” he said.

“I will be looking for work that allows me time to spent with my grandchildren and to build a home on one of the lakes, which we have purchased property on,” he said.

Detective Sgt. Jason Pickert will be promoted to captain, upon West’s leaving.

Pickert has been with the Fort Scott Police Department 14 years.

Throughout this career, he has been an officer, detective, detective,   sergeant, and now captain.

Pickert said being in law enforcement has been enjoyable because of the people he works with.

“My fellow officers, dispatchers, and the firemen and EMT’s that we share a building with are all good people, that are fun to be around and that makes it easy to come to work every day,” Pickert said.

“Also, Law Enforcement is very interesting because you never know what type of call you will be responding to or what type of case you will be investigating.”

Pickert’s hometown is  Richmond, Kansas.