John Nichols (1918 – December 18, 1998) was an American law enforcement officer and politician who served as the sheriff of Oakland County, Michigan from 1985 to 1998.
[6] He served 3.5 years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of captain and becoming a company commander in the European Theater of World War II.
[7] Nichols was only the second rank-and-file police officer of the department to ever rise to serve as its head[7] (the first being William P. Rutledge in 1926).
[8] During his tenure, the department's Stop the Robberies, Enjoy Safe Streets (STRESS) unit was established, with Nichols being one its creators.
[14] He also did so out of the belief that campaigning in a general election would be more demanding of Nichols than running in the primary had been, and that it would take him away from his duties as police commissioner.
[6] He briefly served as Oakland County, Michigan undersheriff under Sheriff Johannes Spreen, before then being appointed Farmington Hills' police chief in 1977.
[6] As sheriff, Nichols undertook what James A. McClear of the Detroit Free Press would later call, "a tough, no-frills revamping of the department".
[6] He instituted strict policies for the department's officers, doubled the capacity of its jail, and tripled the size of its road patrol.
[6] Among what James A. McClear of the Detroit Free Press wrote, at the time of his death, had been the successes of Nichols' tenure was a boot camp for young offenders that garnered national acclaim, a marine division patrolling Oakland County's lakes, and an investigative bureau that was regularly asked to help other departments.
[8] At the time of his 1996 reelection to a fourth term as Oakland County sheriff, there were reports that Nichols was in poor health.
[16][18] Following his death, James A. McClear of the Detroit Free Press wrote, "described as a crusty warrior who gave as much loyalty as he demanded, Nichols earned a reputation for honesty during his more than 55 years as a police officer.