Wesley named Somerset's acting police chief

Feb. 27—The Somerset Police Department officially has a new chief, and even if that title is "acting chief," he said he plans to do the job to the best of his abilities.

Acting Chief Josh Wesley was formerly introduced to the Somerset City Council — and the public — at Monday's council meeting.

Wesley is taking the place of Chief William Hunt, who will officially retire on Thursday.

And while one can't help but draw parallels between the two men, Somerset Mayor Alan Keck was quick to note that they have unique personalities.

"I love this about both of these men. Chief (Hunt) doesn't expect Josh to be him, and now our new chief isn't going to be try William Hunt," Keck said. "He's his own man, he's got his own style, and he'll bring something unique that I think will make us proud while honoring those who came before him."

Wesley called Hunt a mentor and a friend, and, while Wesley sat in his office on the second floor of the Energy Center, Wesley said that he expects he will be able to ask Hunt for advice long after he has retired.

"We have a very good relationship, so I'm sure there'll come times that I'll need some advice or some input from him, so I value his opinion and his experience. It's nice to have that kind of working relationship with your predecessor. Even in retirement, I'm positive he'd be happy to help in any way that he could," Wesley said.

Wesley is a Science Hill native who graduated from Somerset High School — with Mayor Keck. That means the two have known each other for quite some time, Keck said.

"He's one of the highest character individuals I know. You're not going to find someone more straight and narrow than Josh Wesley," Keck said.

Wesley said that he started working with the city in the Natural Gas Department as a meter reader.

"I worked there for two years, until I turned 21, and was able to become an officer. Then, once they had an opening, I put in for a transfer, and been here ever since 2006," he said.

His interest in law enforcement came after he talked to a couple of people in that field. One was a Kentucky State Trooper and one was a Science Hill Police officer.

"They kind of introduced me and let me ride along and get some exposure," he said. "It kind of got me interested in the field as something I wanted to pursue. I took a leap of faith and put in for a transfer and thought, 'Well, I'll try it.'"

And what started as something to try turned into what he said was his calling. Especially since he finds a lot of his strength through his faith.

"I don't believe I would be in this spot if God hadn't put me here. I feel like it was a calling to serve in this role, and I'm going to trust Him and lean on that to carry me through it," he said.

As part of his faith, he has served at East Somerset Baptist Church as a teacher and in helping out with the youth program.

In his career with SPD, Wesley said he helped start the Cops and Cones program, where officers gave out "tickets" to kids to recognize good behavior. Those kids get free ice cream, courtesy of Dairy Queen.

Other highlights of his career include being a part of the department's Honor Guard and performing in ceremonial events, as well as being a part of the tactical team for several years.

But his favorite work has been mentoring other officers.

"I became a training officer after about three and a half years in, and I found that I really enjoyed helping make others better, passing on information and seeing them develop," he said. "I found a lot of fulfillment in that, and it was something I felt like I had a desire to do and a little bit of a skill to do, so that led me into the progression of supervision."

That has led him to this point, as being the acting chief of the department. He said, however, that was not his initial goal or ambition, but being in leadership positions in the past has helped prepare him for the role.

"As far as that side of the job, I've really enjoyed it, and I think I'll continue to enjoy it as the chief of police," he said.

But, he noted, there is another side to being a police chief — one that he thinks he will have a harder time following Hunt in.

"The public side of it and doing stuff like this (interview) is definitely not my comfort zone," Wesley said. "I'm probably less of a 'public figure' than Chief Hunt has been. That's his natural tendency and he's good at it and a great champion for the police department and the community. That's going to be a little bit of a stretch for me."

But Wesley said he wants to build upon the trust that Hunt and the police chiefs who have come before him have worked to maintain in the community.

"You can't police a community that doesn't trust you. I believe we have to earn that trust," he said.

As acting chief, Wesley will serve until the Somerset City Council votes to name a permanent replacement.

Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com