FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Fairmont State University appointed a new Deputy Chief of Police.
James W. “Bil” McGahan III joined the university’s force with more than 35 years of experience in law enforcement.
Previously, he was the Assistant Chief of Police for the City of Clarksburg—a similar position to the one he holds now—and retired in 2006.
“I’ve been involved in most areas of law enforcement in my first go around in my career and from that, up here, I can assist the officers on this department as well as bring that to the table with anybody I can interact with whether their current law enforcement that I happen to be training in some aspect or becoming new hires,” he said about what he will bring to his new role from his time with the Clarksburg Police Department.
McGahan joined Fairmont State as Corporal and Lead Officer for the university’s Police Department in 2019. He said part of his decision to join was because he missed police work during his retirement.
“Because of my instruction background and law enforcement background … I felt that I had something to bring to the table for the academy to help out with that and its development and, hopefully, assist in training officers,” McGahan said.
In addition to his new role, McGahan will still be helping with the university’s police academy to train current officers and those who want to become officers in the future.
“To hopefully work with the folks at the State Police Academy to get certified officers on the streets for the agencies that are in need of officers,” McGahan said about the goal of the Fairmont State Police Academy.
Before his role with the Clarksburg Police Department, McGahan also worked in security management serving in roles within the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency of the U.S. Army Office of the Provost Marshal General.
McGahan officially began his new position as Deputy Chief of Police in September.
Fairmont State University also appointed a new Chief of Police and Director of Police Academy, Jeffrey McCormick, in April 2022.