By Mark Shaffer
The Ironton Tribune

After a number of new hires and promotions, the Coal Grove Police Department is back up to full force.
“We are back up to full force; we have seven full-time police officers and four auxiliary police officers,” said Chief Bill Murphy via phone as he was on patrol for drivers breaking traffic laws on Friday morning. “It’s great. A relief to know we have enough officers out here working the streets and roadways to protect our residents of the village of Coal Grove.”
On Thursday at the Coal Grove Village Council meeting, two new officers, Nick Hanshaw and Paul Brown, were sworn in as patrolmen. Recently, Kevin McKenzie was promoted from corporal to sergeant.
“We also put on two new auxiliaries,” Murphy said. “That was Mike DeLawder and Dean Palmer.”
Both men were previously Lawrence County Sheriff’s deputies and will now be serving as school resource officers in the Coal Grove schools.
Murphy said they had lost officers to the New Boston and Proctorville police departments.
“That’s how it goes,” Murphy said.
He said now that the department is back to full force, they will have two officers per shift again.
“That way we have more officer safety than individuals working by themselves,” Murphy said.