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Despite Cherokee being a small rural county, there is a strong law enforcement presence. While the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office covers most of the area, there is also the Andrews and Murphy police departments along with the N.C. Highway Patrol and Tennessee Valley Authority Police.
The Murphy Police Department has been a case study in consistency. In contrast with other departments that have struggled to find long-term leadership, there have only been three Murphy police chiefs – Mark Thigpen, Justin Jacobs and Tim Lominac – over the last 25 years. There have also only been three mayors – Bill Hughes, Rick Ramsey and Tim Radford – and two town managers – Ann Payne and Chad Simons – which has given Murphy a solid, stable base, while growing at a steady pace.
The latest sign of growth is the new Murphy police headquarters at 498 Hill St., a building that was built in 1988 as a bank – complete with a safe that has become the evidence locker – so it’s a good fit for public safety. Radford and Simons in particular spent considerable time touring local facilities before they found the right place at the right price; while the total of $635,100 to buy the building and outfit it wasn’t cheap, that’s still a good deal for a 5,472-square-feet police station.
The former police headquarters on Peachtree Street is inside a building constructed in 1919 that it shared with the Cherokee County Historical Museum. Police parked on the street. Murphy could use that building for a downtown police presence, or perhaps that space could go to the museum. It’s good to have options.
The Andrews Police Department operates in a newly renovated and expanded facility that was once town hall, and the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office works out of a modern building constructed in 2008. It’s great to see Murphy upgrade its facilities, too, so officers can do an even better job of protecting and serving the community.
– Publisher David Brown