Ed Howell, director of University Police at Fort Hays State University, recently was appointed as law enforcement representative for Region 5 of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police.

The region is the 30 counties of northwest Kansas.

As law enforcement representative for the Northwest Region, Howell supports local, regional and statewide hazard preparedness and helps reduce vulnerabilities to natural disasters.

Howell was appointed by the association's president, Sean Wallace.