Captivated as a child by the cinematic world of Wonder Woman and television’s plethora of police shows, Holly Murchland never imagined she’d one day follow in the footsteps of her on-screen idols, making history in her own way. Now, more than three decades after entering the law enforcement field, she’s done just that, making waves as Westerville’s first-ever female chief of police.
Thanks to a career built on passion, mentorship and a steady climb through the ranks, Murchland now leads a department she deeply admires in a community she’s proud to serve. With both spirit and humility, she’s stepping into her role with a people-first mindset and a clear vision for the future.
Leadership learned
Julie Reid/WPD
Murchland holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Anderson University, and is a graduate of the Northwestern University’s School of Police Staff & Command as well as the FBI Law Enforcement Development program.
She began her career in 1993 at Kettering Police Department, located near Dayton. There were very few female officers on staff at Kettering, but Murchland found mentorship early on in now-retired officer Kelly Pooler.
“She broke that ceiling a bit. She was very well-respected by the male and female officers alike,” Murchland recalls. “She came in, worked hard and was very tough. It made it easier for me that they already had an example of a female who was doing the job and doing it well.”
Murchland spent 25 years at Kettering, retiring as a lieutenant in 2018. From there, she brought with her experience in several different areas – supervision of patrol, communications, the detective bureau and property room – which helped her become the leader she is today.
“When you work in different areas, you understand the ‘Why’s’ of things, and it helps when supervising to be able to explain to officers why you’re doing (what you’re doing),” Murchland says. “I think it’s important for anybody that’s rising up the ranks to try and get into the different areas of a police department.”
Murchland also credits her success to a strong support system, beyond that of her female mentors.
“I had a huge (source of) support network of male officers too that had my back, so I can’t stress enough that the men in my life have also played a role. My husband is also a huge support for me and has always encouraged me,” she says.
Making history
Holly Murchland
Murchland with her husband Bob (center) and daughters Morgan (left) and Madeline (right). Not pictured: family dogs Riggs and Geode.
Murchland’s transition to Westerville was a result of perfect timing. Having served at Kettering for 25 years, she was nearing the department’s retirement age. Meanwhile, her husband, Bob, was working in Columbus – a lengthy, daily commute from Dayton. When the assistant chief position opened up in Westerville in 2018, Murchland knew the opportunity was meant to be.
“I was very content with each rank I was in. I wasn’t really looking at a chief’s position, but this community is a very special community,” she says. “When the opportunity presented itself, it was a no-brainer.”
Murchland joined the Westerville Division of Police in October of that year, serving as assistant chief until November of 2024 when she became acting chief. Earlier this year in June, she was appointed chief of police.
While Murchland is extremely honored and humbled to be the first, she says she doesn’t want to be the last.
“We have some excellent female officers already here that have great leadership potential. So, I’m hoping it inspires women in any line of work to know you can have it all,” she says. “Keep working at it and keep pursuing it.”
Policing with purpose
Julie Reid/WPD
Chief Murchland with Assistant Chiefs Tom Gallagher and Brian Spoon.
Westerville is special in the way it constantly evolves – Murchland recognizes this and has concrete plans in place to ensure the police department can grow alongside its community.
“We have a very active community services bureau. We really make sure that, all throughout the year, we are planning and attending as many events as we possibly can,” she says.
From chatting with residents at community events, to following up on resident comments made during city council meetings, Murchland says every interaction with a resident is an opportunity to remain connected with the community.
Staying connected with the community also entails emphasizing trust and transparency. According to Murchland, one way the department will continue to do this is by remaining accredited through the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, or CALEA.
“Not only does CALEA ensure we have policies and procedures in place, but we have to prove that we’re doing that, so that’s one way to make sure we’re doing what we say we’re doing,” Murchland says. “We want to make sure we’re doing that throughout our organization, so we will (also) be pursuing accreditation for our communication center as well as our training academy.”
In addition to accreditation, Murchland also has her sights set on expanding the department’s already-significant training impact, both in-house and beyond city limits.
“We have a state-of-the-art training room, indoor firing range and also a simulator here. There’s more and more need for reality-based training, and we are able to provide that here,” she says. “So, I’m trying to make us more of a training hub here for Ohio; and not just classes from central Ohio, but regional and national.”
As the department’s training influence broadens, more officers will be able to take advantage, lending to one of Murchland’s most prominent goals – making sure her officers are constantly training to be the best they can be.
Her other focus will remain on succession planning – building up well-rounded leaders from within.
“Succession planning is probably the biggest thing. (We want to be) mentoring the young leaders that we have here, because we have such great officers. They’re smart, they work hard, they’re invested in the community. I want to continue to nourish that,” Murchland says.
Shaping a legacy
As Murchland looks to the future, her vision for the Westerville Division of Police is both forward-thinking and deeply rooted in service.
From expanding accreditation and embracing cutting-edge technology, to fortifying officer training and developing the next generation of leaders, she’s committed to building a department that’s as adaptive as it is community-centered – strengthening the department’s legacy of trust, excellence and connection.
“I just want to stress how very honored and humbled I am to have this opportunity,” Murchland says. “I don’t think I would have wanted to do it anywhere but Westerville.”
Ella Jay is an assistant editor at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at ejay@cityscenemediagroup.com.
