Brian Grogan has been chosen as the new police chief in West Jefferson.

The announcement was made by Town Manager Greg McGinnis on Monday.

“We received over 40 resumes from throughout the southeast from folks interested in the chief’s position,” said McGinnis. “However, Brian has done such an outstanding job the last two months, that the decision to offer him the opportunity to build upon the progress he has made was an easy one.”

Grogan had served as interim chief since Jan. 4 when the town fired the former chief, Robert Roten.

Grogan, a former patrolman, graduated from Wilkes Community College in 1991 with a degree in basic law enforcement. He worked for the Ashe County Sheriff’s Department from 1992 to 1997, served four years as a sworn police officer on the campus of Watauga Medical Center and a year as a sworn police officer for Ashe Memorial Hospital, worked for the Boone Police Department for a year, and joined the West Jefferson Police Department in September 2005.

During his first 12 months in office, Chief Brian Grogan will be evaluated upon his success in the following areas, where he will be expected to: