Franklin, Kentucky City Marshals/Chiefs of Police
Franklin, Kentucky was established in 1819.  The chief law enforcement officer in Franklin’s early days, were City Marshals.  The earliest record found concerning this office was for the 1850’s.  The position of City Marshal was renamed to Chief of Police in 1915.

The following is a list of known Marshal’s / Chief’s of Police from the 1850’s to present:

John A. Wilson	1850’s
John A. Larue	1870
John A. Dickey	1876-1877
James B. McClean	He held this position for about 10 years prior to 1888
Ruben T. Bryan	He held this position in 1870’s or 1880’s
John G. Hudspeth	1880
J. W. Ford	1882-1883
Jesse H. Offutt	1884 (He was shot while on duty)
T. C. Murphy	1884-1885
John R. Plumber	1886
T. C. Murphy	1887-1890 (Was stricken with paralysis in Dec. 1890)
Wilson Baird	1891-1892
W. E. Ball	1893-1894
Joe Aspley	1896-1897
R. T. Bryan	1897
W. E. Ball	1898-1899
J. H. Adsit	1900-1901
A. V. Biggs	1902
G. L. London	1903
Joe Aspley	1904-1905
E. V. Bogan	1906-1907
Joe Aspley	1908-1917
George Young	1918
Robert L. Neal	1919
T. K. Perkins	1920-1921
Joe Aspley	1922-1927
A. B. Dobbs	1928-1939
Harry Jackson	1940-1942
Reed Shoulders	1943-1944
Joe Walker	1945-1946
Dale Tribble	1947-1949
Reed Shoulders	1950-1952
E. H. “Buck” Barnett	1952-1953
Dale Tribble	1954-1956
George Evans	1956-1960
Selma “Sel” Burnett	1960-1962
Lawrence B. Durham Jr.	1962-1969 also known as “Bugsy”
Robert Kennedy	1970-1973
Rudy Deweese	1974-
Bruce Slate	1975-1977
Gene Starks	1978-1981
Bruce Slate	1982-1985
Howard Gary Hodges	1986-1992
Joe Palma	1993
James “Jamie” Powell	1993-2008, also know as “Possum”
Dallas Whiles	2008-2009, Cpt. Whiles served as interim chief a few months until the new chief was sworn into office
Todd Holder	2009 to present

Research by Officer Steve Assmann (Retired)