Murphy names new police chief

Murphy names new police chief
By Gabby Hudson Staff Writer

Police Chief Justin Jacobs

The Murphy Police Department is under new leadership as Justin Jacobs, assistant police chief, was appointed chief during the monthly meeting of the town board Monday.

Board member David Hilton announced that the committee appointed to interview and select a new chief had chosen Jacobs who previously held the position of assistant chief.

Hiltion said that board members had reviewed over 25 applications before choosing Jacobs and even though Jacobs is young, his performance on the job has been outstanding.

Jacobs, 31, was born and raised in Nantahala, graduating from Nantahala High School in a class of 11 graduating students.

"I have always been interested in law enforcement," Jacobs said. "An opportunity presented itself and I began taking classes at Tri-County Community College to obtain a Criminal Justice degree."

The TCCC course of study requires 120 hours of internship, which Jacobs completed at MPD.

Two weeks into the training a dispatch position became available at MPD. Jacobs then worked the dispatch position on the third shift and went to school in the afternoon.

Jacobs started working for MPD in September 2003 and in that short time held the dispatch, officer, investigator, assistant chief and now chief positions. Jacobs is married to Christine Jacobs and they have five children.

Also during the town meeting, Scott Cook, from the Department of Transportation, reported on a proposed plan to relieve the traffic situation in the square of downtown.

Cook proposed that the intersection be changed to what he referred to as a, "Round About." Traffic would flow one way in a circular pattern. Vehicles would enter the intersection off of Tennessee, Hiwassee, Peachtree or Valley River Ave. The traffic that has entered the round about would have the right-of-way and oncoming traffic would yield.

Cook said the existing streets would be reduced from two lanes to one leaving a middle lane for the unloading zone.

The round about will be somewhat like the original "Bull Pen" the town had in 1940's but the area in the middle would be landscaped.

Board members said they would consider the idea after reviewing an existing round about built in Sylva on the campus of Western Carolina University.