Murphy Stepping Up To Take Reins as Martins Ferry Interim Police Chief
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MARTINS FERRY -- He isn't exactly the new sheriff in town, but longtime police Sgt. Jerry Murphy is stepping into the role of interim chief following John McFarland's retirement.
McFarland completed his final shift on Friday, with Murphy already prepared to step into the leadership role.
Murphy, a 1989 Wheeling Park High School graduate, began his law enforcement career in 1995, serving the village of Adena as a part-time officer for about eight months. His first full-time position was with the village of Bridgeport from 1996-'98, while he also worked part time for other local departments. He joined the Martins Ferry department in 1998 as a full-time dispatcher. He became a full-time officer in Martins Ferry in 2000, and he has "been here ever since."
Murphy and McFarland worked under several of the same past chiefs, including Bill Patsche, Paul Canter and Barry Carpenter. In 2004, Murphy said, he played a key role in forming a SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team in the city. He attended several SWAT training sessions and partnered with other police agencies across the region.
Then, in 2008, Murphy sustained a very serious injury while assisting with a drug raid in Cambridge -- he tore both patellar tendons while en route to serve a search warrant.
"They told me I would never walk again," he said during an interview at the station on Wednesday.
Murphy said he spent six months in a wheelchair and about a year off the job, followed by another six to 12 months of "light duty" -- mainly office work to support other officers.
"The chief (McFarland) was gracious about allowing me to do that and work my way back to full time," Murphy noted.
By 2013 he had recovered and was promoted to sergeant. The department has four sergeants, each of whom serves as a shift supervisor.
That experience has helped prepare him to take over as the department's top officer.
"I plan to hit the ground running," he said, noting that he has worked day shift for the past three years, assisting McFarland with paperwork and other administrative tasks.
In addition to supervising the department and its officers, Murphy plans to assume McFarland's role heading up the Staying Clean drug-free clubs in Belmont County's schools. He also is working to obtain grants to expand the department's access to technology and create a better workflow for officers.
He said the most pressing problem for the community is the opioid epidemic. While fatal overdoses have declined in recent weeks, he said you never know when that trend will change. He added that families are now obtaining Narcan, which can reverse the effects of an overdose, to have on hand should their addicted loved ones need to be treated.
Regarding his personal life, Murphy said he and his family live in the Purple City.
"I am married to the love of my life and live in the heart of town," he said.
He said he became a grandfather two years ago and noted that his oldest son lives in Washington state and is on active military duty. His two younger sons still live at home and attend Martins Ferry City Schools.
Since his middle son loves hunting, Murphy recently helped him start a new pastime -- "shed hunting," or locating antlers shed by deer during certain times of the year. With a landowner's permission, they are able to get out and "hunt for that needle in a haystack."
"It's an activity I can do with my family, and it's a lot of fun," he concluded.