Sutphin became police officer to be example to his young son

On Wednesday, the Ironton Police Department swore in its newest patrolman, William Sutphin.

He is a graduate of Coal Grove schools and the second cadet to train with the IPD while he attended the police academy.

Sutphin decision to become a police officer came from his eight-year-old son, Dawson.

“My son wants to be a cop, so I figured what better role model than to become one myself,” he said. 

Sutphin recently graduated from the Southern Ohio Police Academy in Lucasville. Since he was signed on as a cadet with the IPD, he took classes and worked with IPD to learn the town and what the officers do on a regular basis even as he took classes.

He graduated from Dawson-Bryant High School in 2013. Before becoming an officer, he worked on the Ohio River barges as a deck hand and worked in body shops.

He looks forward to working with the community as he spends time learning the ropes of being a patrolman.

“I’ve grown up here, it is home,” Sutphin said. “I want to give back and help the community. Police officers have taken a pretty big hit in the last couple of years and I think it is time to change that and started giving back to the community more. I feel that is my end goal.”