Marietta Police Chief Marty Ferrell to retire

Official Photo of Marietta Police Chief Marty Ferrell

Chief of Police Marty Ferrell is retiring from the Marietta Police Department after 33 years of service.

“After 33 amazing years in law enforcement with the Marietta Police Department, I will be retiring effective January 1, 2024,” said Ferrell in announcing his retirement. “When I started my career in 1990, my goal as a patrol officer was to put bad guys in jail and to help people in the community. I’ve been fortunate to do both…and so much more as I’ve moved through the ranks from patrol officer to Chief of Police.  I’ve achieved all my professional goals at Marietta Police Department with the privilege of serving as Chief since February 2022.”

“Words cannot express my appreciation for this city and the citizens I have had the honor of serving nor can I fully explain how deeply I care about the men and women of Marietta Police Department,” he said. “I’m looking forward to the next chapter of life with a new opportunity in the private sector and will always be grateful for the time I have had with Marietta Police Department.”

Ferrell was officially appointed as chief of police on September 14, 2022 after serving as interim chief since the retirement of previous chief Dan Flynn in January of that year.

Today is an incredibly special day for me,” said Chief Ferrell at the time of his official appointment as police chief. “I’m completely humbled and honored to be selected as Marietta’s next Police Chief. I am grateful to the Mayor, City Council, and City Manager, for placing their trust in me to lead the great men and women of MPD.

“We will always be grateful to Chief Ferrell for dedicating his career to serving the citizens of Marietta,” said City Manager Bill Bruton after the announcement of Ferrell’s departure. “He leaves behind a legacy of unmatched responsiveness and commitment to our community. Chief Ferrell has given our officers and the department the tools needed to continue to provide our citizens with the highest level of police professionalism. We will miss his leadership but know that he will find great success in his upcoming opportunity.” 

Deputy Chief David Beam will serve as Interim Police Chief effective January 1, 2024 upon the retirement of Ferrell.

To read more on this story visit the announcement on the City of Marietta website.

About the City of Marietta

The City of Marietta is the county seat of Cobb County. The latest estimate from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the population of the city at 60,867 which makes it the second largest city in Cobb County by population, smaller only than the recently incorporated City of Mableton.

Here are a few quick facts from the Census Bureau

Marietta city, Georgia
Population, Census, April 1, 202060972
Population, Census, April 1, 201056579
Age and Sex
Persons under 5 years, percent6.7%
Persons under 18 years, percent21.8%
Persons 65 years and over, percent13.2%
Female persons, percent49.9%
Race and Hispanic Origin
White alone, percent53.4%
Black or African American alone, percent(a)32.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, percent(a)0.6%
Asian alone, percent(a)1.9%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, percent(a)0.0%
Two or More Races, percent4.7%
Hispanic or Latino, percent(b)15.7%
White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent46.4%
Population Characteristics
Veterans, 2016-20202678
Foreign born persons, percent, 2016-202016.6%
Housing
Owner-occupied housing unit rate, 2016-202044.0%
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2016-2020$310,100
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2016-2020$1,856
Median selected monthly owner costs -without a mortgage, 2016-2020$526
Median gross rent, 2016-2020$1,145
Families & Living Arrangements
Households, 2016-202024148
Persons per household, 2016-20202.39
Living in same house 1 year ago, percent of persons age 1 year+, 2016-202077.9%
Language other than English spoken at home, percent of persons age 5 years+, 2016-202023.7%
Computer and Internet Use
Households with a computer, percent, 2016-202095.1%
Households with a broadband Internet subscription, percent, 2016-202086.6%
Education
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-202088.6%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2016-202044.0%
Health
With a disability, under age 65 years, percent, 2016-20206.3%
Persons without health insurance, under age 65 years, percent20.2%
Economy
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-202067.2%
In civilian labor force, female, percent of population age 16 years+, 2016-202061.2%
Total accommodation and food services sales, 2012 ($1,000)(c)264544
Total health care and social assistance receipts/revenue, 2012 ($1,000)(c)1584232
Total manufacturers shipments, 2012 ($1,000)(c)1129407
Total retail sales, 2012 ($1,000)(c)1976915
Total retail sales per capita, 2012(c)$33,875
Transportation
Mean travel time to work (minutes), workers age 16 years+, 2016-202028.5
Income & Poverty
Median household income (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$59,594
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2020 dollars), 2016-2020$36,112
Persons in poverty, percent14.1%
Businesses
All firms, 201210501
Men-owned firms, 20124934
Women-owned firms, 20124186
Minority-owned firms, 20124286
Nonminority-owned firms, 20125502
Veteran-owned firms, 20121015
Nonveteran-owned firms, 20128663
Geography
Population per square mile, 20102451.4
Land area in square miles, 201023.08