By Michael V. Crismali, Correspondent
EAST WINDSOR – The position of police chief in East Windsor Township is certainly an exclusive club. There has only been five chiefs of police in the history of the East Windsor Police Department., Until now. On Jan. 4, Lt. Jim Geary was promoted to become only the sixth police chief the township has ever had, taking over for former Chief Harry Marshall, who retired at the end of 2016., The East Windsor Municipal Court was packed with supporters including four out of five of the previous police chiefs, several town council members, friends and family of Chief Geary, and many of the officers who will work side by side with the new chief in the weeks and months to come., After receiving the oath of office, an emotional Chief Geary began by expressing how much he appreciates the faith that is being show in him by allowing him to serve as chief. He said that one cannot be in a position as chief without the support of influential people throughout your career. While thanking all of the other chiefs in the room for their role in his career, Chief Geary made special mention of former chief Harry Marshall and his mentoring., Finally, Chief Geary thanked the men and women with who he has served with through the years for their professionalism and character, often times during difficult circumstances. He said that many people had reached out to him over the last few weeks with congratulations and have universally all had stories about interaction with an East Windsor Police officer and how positive an experience it was, which makes him excited to work with them in this new role moving forward., Chief Geary concluded by recognizing his brother Bill, who retired as a lieutenant a few years ago, for introducing him to the world of law enforcement, and emotionally thanking his family by stating that none of these opportunities mean much unless one has a great group of people to come home to., Chief Geary has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Richard Stockton College, and a master’s of administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also recently attended and completed the 14-week West Point Command Leadership Academy., He graduated from the Somerset County Police Academy in 1995, and in July of that same year, he joined the East Windsor Police Department. During his time with the department he has served in Uniform Services, as a police officer, field training officer, secondary officer in charge and primary officer in charge., In January 2006, he was promoted to sergeant. He served as a platoon supervisor, and later as the supervisor to the Traffic Safety Unit. In 2011, Chief Geary was transferred to the Investigative Services and was assigned as a detective sergeant., In September 2012, Chief Geary was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, where he served as both the operations commander and the administrative commander of Uniformed Services, as well as serving as the Internal Affairs commander., Mayor Janice Mironov said that during his time with the department, Chief Geary has been the recipient of many commendations, including two unit citations, an Education Achievement Medal, several awards of merit and numerous letters of recognition. In 2007, he was also recognized as one of East Windsor’s Employees of the Year, Mayor Mironov went on to talk about some of the intangibles that Chief Geary possesses, thus making him an ideal candidate for the position of chief. She said he has shown that he is motivated to progress and achieve the best that he can for the benefit of the community; he has shown the ability to work well with his fellow officers, in addition to his supervisors; he has acquired exceptional skills and knowledge over the years; and that he has been effective in assisting with many of the grant opportunities available in East Windsor., Mayor Mironov spoke about how difficult the vetting process in East Windsor was, and largely credits that as one of the main reasons why East Windsor Police Department is regarded so highly. It also further illustrates how impressive an accomplishment it is for Chief Geary to have received this opportunity among other highly qualified candidates, according to the mayor.
