Brain Marshall
On Tuesday, December 14, 2021, Phoenixville Borough Council announced the appointment of Brian Marshall as the Borough’s new police chief effective January 1, 2022.
The Borough Council conducted internal interviews of four well-qualified and exemplary candidates within the Police Department. “We are able to promote from within our own organization,” said Councilwoman and Police, Personnel and Public Safety Committee Chairwoman Beth Burckley. “We think this is a positive statement about the outstanding qualities of the men and women who serve our community in the Phoenixville Police Department.”
“We are very excited to welcome Brian Marshall as the Borough’s new police chief,” said Council President Jonathan Ewald. “Our Police Department has played a very important part in keeping our community safe for a long time. We have been fortunate to continue promoting from within and consistently having an extraordinary organization of dedicated professionals who have protected and cared for us. As we look ahead to the future, it is essential our new leadership prepare the department for significant changes in the emergency response profession. Brian Marshall has proven his ability to be both a great police chief and leader who can prepare the organization for change.”
Marshall began his career with the Phoenixville Police Department in March of 1988 as a police officer. He has worked in Patrol, Community Policing, Field Training, Crisis Negotiator, Detective, Chester County Drug Task Force and is a former School Resource Officer. Marshall graduated from the Law Enforcement Executive Development program held at Princeton University.
After attending community policing training at Penn State University in 1998, Marshall brought the Drug Abuse Resistance & Education D.A.R.E. program to the Phoenixville School District, hosted the first “National Night Out” in our community, and started the “Shop With A Cop” program which began in 2002. He has conducted hundreds of station tours and speaking engagements for a variety of groups including boy scouts, girl scouts, the Phoenixville School District, civic organizations, pharmaceutical companies, civilian police academies, and religious organizations just to name a few.
He also was the first departmental accreditation manager and was instrumental in getting Phoenixville Police Department PLEAC Accredited in June 2014. PLEAC Accreditation requires the Phoenixville Police Department to meet 139 proven standards that address four areas: Organization and Management Roles, Law Enforcement Functions, Staff Support Responsibilities, and Pennsylvania Legal Mandates. Accreditation is an ongoing process whereby the agency is required to establish policy and procedures against established criteria and have compliance with that criteria verified by three independent assessors during a mock and on-site assessment. The assessors review training, services, equipment, policies, and participate in “ride-a-longs” to verify compliance with the acceptable best practices as set forth by PLEAC. Accreditation affects every component of the agency and assures the community is receiving professional police services. The PLEAC recognition is a coveted award that symbolizes professionalism, excellence, and competence in the law enforcement profession.
The current chief, Thomas Sjostrom, is retiring at the end of the year after serving as the police chief since February 2017. Sjostrom said, “Marshall’s experience and strong leadership will continue to guide the police department in the right direction as the new chief of police. His dedication and commitment of service will not only benefit the department but the entire Phoenixville community.”
Marshall was promoted to Corporal in 1997, Sergeant in 2001 and Lieutenant in 2017. He is a 2019 graduate of F.B.I. National Academy Command School session # 278 held in Quantico, VA. He earned both his Bachelors of Science Degree in Criminal Justice Administration and Masters of Science Degree in Public Safety Administration from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
“Lieutenant Marshall is a dedicated public servant who has devoted more than three decades of service to the Phoenixville Community,” said Mayor Peter Urscheler. “He has helped guide our community through its revitalization and is well poised to build upon our commitment to excellence in Community Policing. I along with the rest of the Borough Council look forward to working with Lieutenant Marshall in his new role as Chief.”
Marshall will begin his employment on January 1, 2022.
