GREENVILLE – The Greenville Police Department promoted Patrol Officer Joseph Wolfe to the rank of sergeant during a swearing-in ceremony held in the Greenville City Council chambers.
Wolfe, a seven-year member of the Greenville Police Department, was sworn in by Greenville Mayor Jeff Whitaker as family, friends, and city officials looked on.
Making the occasion especially meaningful, Wolfe’s wife, Sierra, and their young children, Emberlyn and Ty, were present, while son Westlyn held the Bible for his father during the ceremony.
Originally from West Virginia, Wolfe has since established strong roots in Greenville through both family and community ties.
Now stepping into a leadership role, Sgt. Wolfe said he is grateful for the guidance he received from senior officers early in his career and hopes to provide that same support to younger officers moving forward.
“The last few years, I have had several strong leaders who have helped me through my career,” said Sgt. Wolfe. “I want to be the next step for the younger guys coming up.”
“Hopefully, I bring up some strong officers and help them develop their careers throughout the upcoming years,” he added.
With the promotion comes a shift in responsibility, something Wolfe said he is ready to embrace.
“Where I’m more worried about myself, now I have a whole shift and guys to worry about and hope they are doing well,” Wolfe said. “I want to lead.”
Mayor Whitaker praised Wolfe for stepping into the new role and said the promotion reflects the city’s commitment to building a strong department from within.
“I want to congratulate Joe Wolfe for becoming our new sergeant in the Greenville Police Department,” said Whitaker. “He’s been with us for seven years now, and I appreciate the fact that he has stepped up and is willing to take on this role. I think he is going to do a good job.”
Whitaker also emphasized the city’s effort to retain officers and provide them with opportunities to build long-term careers in Greenville.
“We want to build a police force that is going to be here for a long time and make a career right here in the city,” Whitaker said. “We’re not a big city, so there are not the big city problems, and when they have an opportunity to work and live in their hometown and be relatively safe, we’re going to try and keep it that way.”
Greenville Police Chief Ryan Benge said Wolfe’s experience and initiative have prepared him well for the position.
“There is a lot of competition out there, but it starts with getting good guys like Officer Wolfe,” said Benge. “What we want is people who have been here and know the workings of not just the agency but of the city and how things work.”
Benge noted Wolfe has served in a variety of roles during his time with the department.
“Joe has been proactive as a patrol officer, has done narcotics investigations, and is on the special response team at the Sheriff’s Office, so he is well-rounded as a police officer,” Benge said. “He doesn’t have just one focus, so that will be good as he takes over a shift and learns to lead.”
Benge added that leadership requires constant growth and learning.
“I was telling him the other day, it’s not easy, but I encourage all of our leaders to look at ways to get better, to improve. Every day you learn something different, and as you go up in rank, that doesn’t change,” Benge said. “You learn ways to get better and how to better serve your people. I think he is going to do good things for the city and the police department.”
