HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – Hopkinsville Police Chief Jason Newby has been in law enforcement for 23 years, in a career that came out of his service with the Marine Corps.
When he graduated from high school, he joined the Marines. “When I got out of that, four years later, I really wasn’t sure what I was going to do,” Newby said.
Most of Newby’s career has been in Hopkinsville with the Kentucky State Police. He served two years as a patrolman and served alongside Christian County Sheriff Tyler DeArmond for four years as his chief deputy.
“Then, the chief of police spot opened up and I applied for it,” Newby said. “I didn’t really expect to get it, but it worked out, and here I am.”
Newby is currently in his seventh month as chief of the Hopkinsville Police Department and oversees about 120 people. “The main role of my job is the overall success of the department,” Newby said. “I deal with a multi-million dollar budget to recruit manpower and drive the success of HPD.”
Hopkinsville and its community has been close to Newby since he moved here when he was 6 years old. “It’s hard to put my finger on it, but the main thing I love about Hopkinsville is the community and law enforcement always work together,” Newby said. “Hopkinsville has always supported law enforcement, and that is something you don’t always see these days.”
Newby has completed several of his personal goals within the department. When he first started, he wanted to add more officers to the undercover drug unit, increase officers to the crime suppression unit and add more public safety officers. Newby has completed all three. “I added three more officers to our undercover drug unit, our crime suppression unit, which deals with traffic stops, is now a three-man unit, and our public safety officer position is now fully staffed,” Newby said.
Although officer numbers have increased, Newby and his staff still see major problems with crime in Hopkinsville, including theft, and drug and gun violence among younger people. “I see a lot of our incidents coming from 14- to 21-year-olds,” Newby said. “I think these problems start with the home and the justice system. That when they are in the system; they also should be getting the help they need.”
The chief often finds himself in a more hands-on role. On Monday Oct. 30, Newby rescued a woman from her burning house.
“We know when we get up in the morning what we possibly might have to deal with that day,” Newby said. “So, when something does happen you don’t look at it any other way than that’s my job: to serve and protect.”
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