MARTINS FERRY — The city of Martins Ferry will soon have a new police chief.

After 27 years in law enforcement and two years serving as the city’s police chief, Jerry Murphy retired on Oct. 3.

Sgt. Vincent West was appointed interim police chief, replacing Murphy immediately following his retirement.

Mayor John Davies said that the city tries to promote from within as long as it has the qualified candidate to do so. He added that West will become the full-time chief of police once council approves his promotion.

West will then be sworn in at an upcoming council meeting, with that date yet to be determined.

“Nobody knows our city better than our own guys,” Davies said. “He has some priorities that he wants taken care of, one being the city park. These kids down there are vandalizing it, and they’re going to be arrested and we’re going to hold their parents responsible financially for the damages that their kids do.”

He added that West was a great candidate to become the new police chief, not only because he’s qualified butbecause he is very active in the community.

“He’s very outgoing. He’s out in the public, everybody knows him. Everybody I’ve talked to seems to like him. So he’s kind of a front-runner in the game, for sure,” Davies said.

West is no stranger to Martins Ferry. He has spent his entire life living in the community with the dream of one day becoming the city’s police chief.

West’s father, Ben West, also served as a police officer in Martins Ferry for over 30 years.

“My father was a police officer here when I was real young, until he retired from here. And, so I’ve been around this office my entire life. And to go forth and be the chief of it is a lifelong dream come true,” West said.

He joined Martins Ferry Police Department in 2005 as a part-time officer until becoming a full-time officer in 2013. In 2023 he became a sergeant.

West added that his biggest goal as police chief is to clean up the city.

“I just want to just touch up on what the other chiefs have done for the city. I do take this town very personally,” he said. “I just want to try to clean it up. I have so many goals, I don’t even know where to begin, to be honest.”

He added that he thinks it would be beneficial if residents knew that he plans to have an open door policy as police chief.

“Come here and talk to me, and I want to make sure it’s an open door policy where people can come in and speak to me and address anything they want to,” West said.

He added that, with the current climate of relationship between the police and community throughout some states, he believes it is crucial to be a present member within the community.

“We live in strange times. I mean, the world is definitely different from whenever I was growing up here. So I feel being more personable and getting to know the people and having people be able to come in that I already have friendships or built relationships with is important,” West said.

“I want them to feel positive and feel welcomed coming in here.”

He added that although he wants residents to be able to come into his office and voice their concerns he plans to be more strict with the public.

“Some things have kind of gotten out of control and we want to take control again and just make this town safer and cleaner,” West said.

West will be named the ful- time chief of police once city council approves his promotion. Following his swearing in, he will then have to take a police chief course with the International Association of Chiefs of Police.