Liberty City Council picks James Martin as next chief of police
Liberty will soon have a new top cop.
City leaders on Monday unanimously selected James Martin, currently a chief in suburban Tulsa, to lead its police department, the city announced. Martin will take the post following the retirement of Police Chief James Simpson, who announced in February that he would be stepping down after more than a decade at the helm.
In a statement Monday, Mayor Lyndell Brenton said city officials were looking for a chief with “progressive experience” and “new perspectives.”
“Jim Martin has the resume, demeanor and management style to successfully lead the Liberty Police Department while leveraging the collective wisdom of the dedicated professionals he will be working with and commanding,” the mayor said, adding that the city owes outgoing Chief Simpson a “debt of gratitude.”
“Chief Martin brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to this position,” City Administrator Curt Wenson added. “We believe he will be able to build on the positive culture and continue moving the Liberty Police Department forward as our community changes and (the) law enforcement environment continues to evolve.”
Martin previously worked for the Lawrence, Kansas Police Department, where he began his career in 1997 as police officer and was eventually promoted to captain, according to a press release from the city. He spent 16 years there, working within investigative divisions, before joining the Douglas County Sheriff’s department in an administrative role as an undersheriff.
Before beginning his local law enforcement career, Martin was a military police officer for the U.S. Marines and the Kansas Army National Guard. He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Kansas.
Martin is currently in charge of the Glenpool Police Department. The Tulsa suburb is home to roughly 14,000 people, and its police department employs about two dozen sworn officers, including Martin and an assistant chief.
Martin is scheduled to take over July 27. Officials say Liberty Police Capt. Andy Hedrick will be the acting chief temporarily between Simpson’s leave on July 2 and Martin’s arrival.
The selection process for the new chief included input from city employees, elected officials and the Fraternal Order of Police, city officials said.
