Seymour police chief resigns

Seymour Police Chief Bryant Lucas has resigned after two and a half years in the position.

The announcement came from a news release from January Rutherford, public information specialist for the city.

Lucas accepted the position of director-chief of police for the South Central Region of Indiana University Health, serving health campuses in Martinsville, Bedford, Paoli and Bloomington.

His last day with the Seymour Police Department will be June 4.

“I just want to thank everyone for the fantastic opportunity I’ve had in Seymour,” he said. “Serving as police chief has allowed me to grow in my profession and as a person. I have been lucky to work with a great team of officers and civilians, Mayor Nicholson and just the entire city has been good to me.”

Lucas said his goal was always to have a positive impact on the department and the city, and he feels he has done that.

Seymour Mayor Matt Nicholson is currently accepting résumés from both internal and external candidates with law enforcement experience to fill the police chief position.

Applications may be submitted at Seymour City Hall, 301-309 N. Chestnut St. The deadline is June 3.

“I want to congratulate Bryant on his new position,” Nicholson said. “We appreciate the work he has done in our community over the last couple of years.”

The mayor said he plans to announce an interim chief before Bryant’s departure to “maintain leadership during the search for a permanent police chief.”

The interim chief will be an internal promotion.

Lucas’ first day as police chief was Jan. 1, 2020, after being appointed by Nicholson. He succeeded Bill Abbott, who was Seymour’s police chief from 2008 to 2019.

Craig Hayes served as interim police chief until Lucas was hired. He served as Seymour’s police chief from 2004 until 2008.

Before Lucas was police chief, he was the public safety director of the Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus campus for four years and was an adjunct instructor of criminal justice at the school.

He spent 27 years as a conservation officer with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Law Enforcement Division and retired from the agency in 2015.