Bill Cochran hired by Topeka Public Schools

TOPEKA (KSNT) - Former Topeka Chief of Police Bill Cochran will be joining Topeka Public Schools as General Director of Transportation & Campus Police.

Cochran will start with TPS in March and will replace the retiring Deputy Superintendent Larry Robbins who is currently serving in the role.

"As Deputy Superintendent Robbins retires, Chief Cochran will be continuing the legacy of excellence in the transportation and safety area of operations and we are excited to have the continued long-standing partnership of Chief Cochran in support of our staff and students,” TPS Superintendent, Dr. Tiffany Anderson said.

Cochran started his service at the Topeka Police Department (TPD) on July 13, 1987. Throughout his time, he has worked in several capacities at TPD including homicide, traffic, patrol, field operations and criminal investigations. Before he became the chief, he was a major in criminal investigations as the bureau commander.

Cochran was officially named the police chief in January of 2018. He took the job with a big hurdle ahead of him as 2017 became, at the time, the deadliest year on record in Topeka with 29 killings. After just one year on the job, homicides in Topeka went down by more than 40% from that deadly year, logging 17 killings in 2018.

In 2019 Cochran helped form the ‘Strengthening Police and Community Partnerships’ program to have open discussions between people who live in the community and the people who protect them.

Cochran also served in the Army National Guard from February 1985 until he retired as a First Lieutenant in July 2005, according to TPS. He served one combat tour in Iraq in 2004. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Washburn University in 1987 and his Masters of Business Administration from Friends University in 2010. He is also a graduate of the Northwestern University Police Staff and Command School. 

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