Two added to Greenfield police force

The Greenfield City Council not only swore in a new officer at last Tuesday’s meeting, but also hired a new police chief.

Ben Marsh officially began last week as a new officer. He is from Guthrie Center and has a brother-in-law who works in law enforcement.

“I was going to DMACC already for a business degree and didn’t really know what I wanted to do for a career,” Marsh said. “He put that idea in my head, so I switched my major after doing a few ride-alongs with him. From there, I did my two years studying criminal justice and fell in love with it.”

While in college, Marsh also completed additional ride-alongs with the Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office, where he gained valuable knowledge and increased exposure to the field.

“That kept building my eagerness to get hired and actually be an officer somewhere,” Marsh said. “Being able to interact with the community and seeing how the officers respect people in the community — and the respect they get back — I admired that.”

Marsh praised Interim Police Chief Matt Kernen and Officer Jacob Tootle for their professionalism and the training experiences he received before being sworn in. He said he is most excited about being able to help people in the Greenfield community.

The council also approved the hiring of Marcus Speakman, currently a Winterset police officer, as Greenfield’s next police chief. Speakman will be featured in an upcoming edition. His start date is Monday, March 23.