An introduction by Chief Michael Richards
Welcome to the Newton Police Department website. I appreciate your taking the time to visit this site and believe you will find the information to be both helpful and informative. This site is designed and maintained by a member of the staff and is specifically intended to further our objectives in creating and strengthening the Department's Community Policing initiatives.
We recognize our traditional responsibility to protect life and property but we also place as much emphasis on perfecting and refining the service we provide to the public. Much of that emphasis is placed providing the citizens with as much information as possible as it may relate to our organizational makeup, our roles and responsibilities, any special services that we provide, important safety information as well as any information relating to incidents and events that occur within the municipality. Our goal is to inform the public whenever possible and to promote the public's awareness of how important a role they play in maintaining a healthy and safe environment for themselves and for their children. It is expected that this site will further this goal.
I invite you to browse this site and inform yourself of the general organization of the Newton Police Department and with those services we offer. Because I expect this site to be continuously refined and updated I would also suggest you visit this site regularly to view new updates and changes. Your comments and suggestions are important to us and I encourage anyone to share those thoughts with me at .
An introduction by Chief Michael Richards
Chief Richards began his career with the Newton Police Department in 1989 as a full-time police dispatcher. After receiving training in 1992 to become a Special Police Officer, he performed foot patrol in the business district several hours per week in addition to his dispatching position. He then became a Patrolman in 1994 and served as the department's first full-time Bike Patrol Officer. He attended the Somerset County Police Academy and graduated in June 1995. After graduation, he worked in the Patrol Division until he was assigned to the Detective Bureau in 2000. He served as a Detective until 2002 when he was made Detective Sergeant. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2006. Chief Richards is a Past-President of the Sussex County Detectives' Association and he was the 2008 recipient of the William G. Geffken Detective of the Year award for outstanding accomplishments in investigative police work. Chief Richards served as President of the Sussex County PBA Local 138 for four years and he is a 2005 graduate of the West Point Command and Leadership Program where he was awarded the Chief Harry Wilde Academic Achievement Award for Academic Excellence. He was sworn in as the Chief of Police on November 5, 2010. Chief Richards is an active member in the Sussex County Association of Chiefs of Police, the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. His responsibilities involve the general administration of the Police Department which include but are not necessarily limited to:
- General Direction, Control and Administration
- Planning Responsibilities
- Responsibility to the Town Manager
- External Affairs
- Clerical Staff
- Personnel Files and Records
- Rules, Regulations, Policies and Procedures
- Research/Grants
- Purchasing/Procurement
- Budget Preparation for the Police Department
- Accreditation Manager for the NJ Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission
Chief Richards can be reached at (973) 383-2525 or .