DUNBAR, W.Va. -- Dunbar's police chief has been given a new job as part of a departmental reorganization.

Interim Mayor Jack Yeager said he moved Police Chief Earl Whittington out of the police chief's spot into a shift commander's position as part of a reorganization plan inside the police department.

Yeager said Whittington will be the new shift commander, former shift commander Lt. Matt Arthur will become Dunbar's only police detective, and Lt. Bill Moss, an 18-year veteran, will be the new police chief.

"We need a detective real bad," Yeager said Wednesday. "I'm putting people where I think their strongest suits are."

Dunbar City Council members appointed Yeager as interim mayor in November, after a special three-judge panel ordered Mayor Roger Wolfe removed from office. Wolfe fought a bitter, two-year battle with city council members over who had the most power in city government.

Whittington was one of four city department heads whose salary Wolfe tried to increase, despite opposition by city council. But Councilwoman Connie Boardman said removing Whittington as police chief was not politically motivated.

"It's just reconstructing the police department," she said Wednesday.

"Everything the mayor does, people will say it's political," Yeager said. He said the police department restructuring is in the best interests of the citizens of Dunbar.

Interim Mayor Jack Yeager said he moved Police Chief Earl Whittington out of the police chief's spot into a shift commander's position as part of a reorganization plan inside the police department.

Yeager said Whittington will be the new shift commander, former shift commander Lt. Matt Arthur will become Dunbar's only police detective, and Lt. Bill Moss, an 18-year veteran, will be the new police chief.

"We need a detective real bad," Yeager said Wednesday. "I'm putting people where I think their strongest suits are."

Dunbar City Council members appointed Yeager as interim mayor in November, after a special three-judge panel ordered Mayor Roger Wolfe removed from office. Wolfe fought a bitter, two-year battle with city council members over who had the most power in city government.

Whittington was one of four city department heads whose salary Wolfe tried to increase, despite opposition by city council. But Councilwoman Connie Boardman said removing Whittington as police chief was not politically motivated.

"It's just reconstructing the police department," she said Wednesday.

"Everything the mayor does, people will say it's political," Yeager said. He said the police department restructuring is in the best interests of the citizens of Dunbar.

Whittington agreed that Dunbar needs a dedicated detective. He said the city has historically been short of police officers, but the recent graduation of four new officers from the State Police Academy has put the department back up to strength.

"Now that we've got the manpower, those sorts of projects can get off the ground," he said.

City elections will be held in June. But Yeager said he didn't want to just leave city business alone for the next mayor to deal with.

"The city can't afford to maintain the status quo," Yeager said. "Maintaining the status quo is the last thing I want to do. I'm making long-range plans so the next mayor will have something to work with."

Whittington, a 24-year veteran, said he would continue to serve the Dunbar Police Department.

"I would have liked to have finished what I started," he said Wednesday.

But, he added, "It's the mayor's prerogative to make changes. I don't want to hinder what he's trying to do."

Reach Rusty Marks at rustyma...@wvgazette.com or 348-1215.