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Remembering a Former Police Chief

POTTSVILLE — A big personality and a love for people: that’s how friends said they’ll remember Joseph Murton. “When Joe would open that ...

POTTSVILLE -- A big personality and a love for people: that's how friends said they'll remember Joseph Murton.

"When Joe would open that mouth and that voice, people stood up and they respected him.  A very good man," said Joe Groody, Schuylkill County Sheriff.

Murton died on Wednesday afternoon, his friends say he had a heart attack. He was in his 60s.

The Schuylkill County native was involved in law enforcement for most of his life.

He started as a Pottsville police officer in the 1970s. In 2003, Murton was sworn in as the city's police chief.

John Reiley was mayor at the time.

"It was the easiest decision I had to make, who was going to be the new chief. He was a real people person," said Reiley.

The former police chief patrolled the city streets for years before he got that top spot. The former mayor said Murton made Pottsville a better place to live.

"He didn't have to do a background check, he kept it all up here. He was a walking computer when it came to the background of people in Pottsville. He knew just about everybody," said Reiley.

Murton retired as chief in 2013. He decided to completely switch roles and become a pastor, most recently, at the Evangelical United Methodist Church in Pottsville.

"He served as pastor at several churches not just in Pottsville, but the Schuylkill County area," the former mayor said.

Groody was friends Murton for more than 35 years and worked closely with him when it came to law enforcement, but he did get to see Murton pursuing his other passion.

"I even attended one of his services just to see how he was doing on the other side of the cloth there and he did an excellent job there," said Groody.

Friends can't believe the former chief is gone, but they know Murton will always look after Pottsville.

"He's with the 'big cop in the sky' now, he's going to be greatly missed, though."

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