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McFarland Closing Book on Time as Martins Ferry Police Chief

When Martins Ferry Police Chief John McFarland goes off duty today, big changes will be on the horizon for him.

At the end of this shift, McFarland will officially retire from police work and move on to a new career. He will start that job Monday.

"My professional fishing career didn't take off," he joked. "I love fishing, but I'm not very good at it."

And soon he will enter a new phase in his family life as well, when he and wife Tiffany will welcome their first grandchild -- a girl, who is due to arrive June 1.

"We're very excited," McFarland said. "It will be a new road for me, since we have three boys."

McFarland said several factors helped him make the decision to end his 29-year career in law enforcement, including a job opportunity as a land agent working in Marshall County.

"We have a bunch of new officers, and it's just kind of time to turn it over," McFarland said in an interview Wednesday.

On a cold, dreary night just two years after his graduation, he worked his first shift as a patrolman with the city's police department, investigating a case in which someone was stealing car tires. And he said a lot has changed since that evening in 1994.

According to McFarland, all officers -- and especially the chief and other supervisors -- have many more requirements to meet these days. He said all Purple City officers now wear body cameras when interacting with the public, and a lot of work goes into protecting people's privacy when that footage is requested. He added that monthly training is required and that the department has more administrative work than one person can handle. He noted that administrative work keeps him in the office most of the time, and he misses getting out and interacting with the public.

"Thank God for Jerry Murphy," he said of the sergeant who will assume command of the department as interim chief. "The last few years he's been a gigantic help to me, but that's one less officer on the road."

McFarland's first job in the field was as a patrolman for the village of Tiltonsville. He remained in that post for about six months before joining the force in Martins Ferry, where he spent the next 15 years working midnights. During that time, he noticed that the city had "a big drug problem" and Canter agreed to make him the department's primary investigator of drug crimes.

"It's a pressing job," McFarland said, terming the individuals involved in drug trafficking "the scum of the earth" and noting that you don't find confidential informants in nice places. "We were able to make a big punch into the bad guys here in town. That was my passion."

He said "the kids" have been the high point of his career - kids in the community and students he has worked with as part of the Staying Clean drug-free clubs in schools across the county.

"A lot of them just need some positive attention," he said. "We try to help every one we can."

McFarland, 49, is more than eligible for retirement with his nearly three decades on the force. Ohio Revised Code states that police officers are eligible to retire at age 48 if they have completed 25 years of service. Beyond starting his new job, his retirement plans include spending more time with his family and three dogs. His wife will continue to teach school. He added that he might be open to returning to law enforcement in a part-time capacity "after a break."

"I'm going to see where life takes me and be happy," he said.