MEET CHRIS
Experienced Leadership for Jackson County
Chris Nichols has served in public safety for over two decades, holding a variety of roles and responsibilities throughout his career. He is dedicated to serving the community and looks forward to being your next Jackson County Sheriff.
Chris lives in the South Jackson area with his wife, Carmen, and their three children. Carmen, a Jackson County native, is a teacher at the Preschool at First Baptist Church of Jefferson. Their children work in or attend the Jackson County School System.
Chris is a graduate of Hart County Comprehensive High School. After starting college, he worked as a Communications Officer for the Hart County Sheriff’s Office and the Elbert County Sheriff’s Office. He received a bachelor’s degree in Spanish from The University of Georgia, and a master’s in Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University.
Chris moved to the Athens area in 2000 and began working with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in 2001 while still a full-time student at UGA. During his time with the police department, he has been a patrol officer, an investigator and supervisor in the Robbery / Homicide Unit of the Criminal Investigations Division, served in the Office of the Chief, led the School Resource Officer program, acted as the department’s Homeland Security Coordinator, served as a liaison with the Georgia Terrorism Intelligence Project, overseen the Crime Analysis Unit, and has served as the commander of the Office of Professional Standards (more commonly known as Internal Affairs). He is a certified instructor with the Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council specializing in
Use of Force, Emergency Medical, and is a Master Resiliency Instructor. Chris is also the primary instructor at his current agency for the community active shooter course, Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE). Chris teaches CRASE at businesses, schools, houses of worship, and the public library. Chris has also been trained by the US Department of Homeland Security to do Physical Security Assessments on high-risk buildings.
Chris is currently a Division Commander, a Captain, over the department's Administrative Services Division, which encompasses the Standards / Accreditation Unit, Records Unit, Career Development and Training Unit, Recruiting, Quartermaster, and Facilities Management, and he oversees approximately $3.1 million of the department's budget. Chris has been with the department for over 22 years and is one of the agency's Command Duty Officers during nights, weekends, and holidays.
Chris spent over a decade as an investigator, supervisor, and Division Commander in the Criminal Investigations Division. Chris has led or assisted in the investigation of over 70 homicides, multiple armed robberies and aggravated assaults, and was one of the department's first street gang investigators. Chris was the the Division Commander during "Operation Benchwarmers," a joint effort involving more than 300 law enforcement members from 23 agencies, which resulted in the federal arrests of 17 individuals for federal gun and drug charges in Athens-Clarke County. This operation is considered the largest in the history of the department, seizing almost $1 million in illegal narcotics, including heroin and methamphetamine, along with 43 firearms, and $84,013 in cash. Chris is dedicated to ensuring local, state, and federal agencies to work together to bring violent criminals to justice.
In addition to law enforcement, Chris has an active EMT - Intermediate license and previously worked part-time for National EMS. Chris is participant in the Northeast Georgia Medical Reserve Corps. Because Chris believes that law enforcement officers should also have the skills to provide emergency first aid, he teaches officers from various departments self-aid / buddy care using the Buddy Kit, an individual first-aid kit designed by the Buddy Christian Foundation. Additionally, he collaborates with the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department in sending police officers through the Fire Department’s rookie academy to obtain EMT certification.
Chris is the Vice-chairman of the Board for the Jackson County Water and Sewerage Authority and has served on the Board since June 2017. Chris was a participant and an advocate for the Watch D.O.G.S. program at South Jackson Elementary School. Chris serves as a member of the ACC Charity Drive Committee, which oversees the Employee Emergency Assistance Fund assisting employees facing financial hardship due to an emergency or serious illness.
Chris firmly believes that the power of the police comes from the common consent of the public, as opposed to the power of the state, and he subscribes to the Peelian Principles of Policing.
When Chris isn't working, you can find him and his family serving at church, at a Jackson County Schools event, or on one of the county's athletics fields.
