New Belpre Chief of Police sworn in

BELPRE, Ohio. (WTAP) - There’s a new Police Chief in Belpre as of Monday evening.

One of the first orders of business at the Belpre City Council meeting was the swearing-in of a new Chief of Police.

Michael P. Stump was sworn in by Mayor Mike Lorentz in a brief ceremony Monday evening.

Stump is the Interim Chief of Police, named to fill the vacancy from when Chief Terry Williams retired.

Chief Stump estimates the selection process, including civil service testing, will take anywhere from two to three months.

He says his first goal is to attract new officers to fill the current openings in the Belpre Police Department.

He says like many area police departments, there is a lack of qualified candidates in the region right now.

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