WEIRTON – A day after retiring from the West Virginia State Police, Walter Charles Kush officially became the new police chief in the city of Weirton.

Standing before a crowd of family and friends, along with members of the Weirton Police Department and city officials Saturday afternoon, Kush received the oath of office from Mayor Harold Miller, stepping into his new role as the community’s top cop.

“It’s an honor to be standing here. It’s an honor to be selected for this position,” Kush said.

A lifelong resident of Weirton, Kush dedicated 26 years of service to the West Virginia State Police, retiring with the rank of first sergeant and most recently stationed in Wellsburg.

“I’ve lived here most of my life. My family lives here,” he said. “I’m glad to be back in the community.”

Kush’s time with the state police included work as a polygraph examiner with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and as an instructor in courses of interviewing and interrogation at the West Virginia State Police Academy. He also served stints with the WVSP road patrol and with the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force.

He said he is looking forward to working with the officers of the Weirton Police Department and continuing their work to serve the citizens of Weirton.

“The Weirton Police Department is an excellent department. They have dedicated officers,” he said.

When asked about plans for the future of the department, following adjustments to its operational structure earlier this year, Kush explained the department’s detectives division is staffed and prevention resource officers are in the schools.

“I don’t plan on any big changes for now,” he said, explaining he wants to take time to become better acquainted with the department’s personnel and operations.

Kush was appointed to the post, by a unanimous vote from City Council, on Oct. 21. The previous chief, Rob Alexander, retired from the department Sept. 4 in order to take a position with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department.

“We were beginning to wonder if we’d have to send you back to the academy,” Miller joked, noting the approximately three months the city went without a full-time chief of police.

Following Alexander’s retirement, Deputy Chief Ricky Grishkevich served as interim chief until his own retirement at the end of September. Lt. Scott Cook has been acting chief in the time since.