Ex-Hillsboro cop to remain at Marion
Staff writer
A Marion officer who came to the police department in February, 2024, with the intention of returning to Hillsboro, where he had been a part-time officer before, has decided to stay at Marion.
“Marion PD needs me more, to help get back to where it used to be,” Dustin Woodford said. “I feel the need to stay here and help.”
Woodford sees a lot of scarring between Marion PD and its residents after a raid Aug. 11, 2023, on the Marion County Record newsroom and the homes of its owners and vice mayor Ruth Herbel.
“I feel needed, and I can help things,” he said.
He will remain with Hillsboro PD on a part-time basis.
He and his wife, who works at Spur Ridge Veterinary Clinic, bought a new house on Coble St. He also was able to use veteran’s benefits to help with the house, which was built as part of a program for moderate-income residents.
He will give the children, ages 9 to 16, a choice whether to attend school at Marion or remain at Hillsboro.
Born in Alaska, Woodford worked 10 years as a construction contractor in Montana, where he was closer to his family. He and his wife, Suzie, were motivated to move to Kansas to be closer to her family.