CITY OF FREEMAN HIRES SECOND POLICE OFFICER

Kenny Birkey will be joining the Freeman Police Department as a second officer.

The 2010 Freeman High School graduate — and permanent resident of Freeman since moving back here in 2019 after marrying Aprille Hofer — was hired by the Freeman City Council at its regular meeting Tuesday night, Oct. 15.

Birkey, 32, will work alongside Barron Nankivel on the local force, which has been without a police chief since the resignation of Jay Slevin in early June.

Nakivel has been an officer since he was hired by the city in August of 2023.

Birkey, who has no prior experience in law enforcement, said some logistics are required before he can start, which will likely be sometime the last week of October. He also said he will need to become certified within the year, and that he is looking forward to what lies ahead, calling it “a hard job but a cool job.”

“Moving back to Freeman came with a sense of responsibility to be part of the community,” Birkey told The Courier late Tuesday night. “Supporting the community means protecting the community, and that’s important to me.”