The Hillsborough Township Committee recognized the former and newest leaders of the township’s police department at its August meeting.
New Hillsborough Township Police Chief Michael McMahon, who was appointed in July for the effective starting date of Aug. 1, was sworn in at the township committee meeting on Aug. 13.
Former Police Chief Darren Powell, Lt. Michael Fitzpatrick and Capt. Charles Boyle retired as of Aug. 1 from the Hillsborough Township Police Department. Powell and Fitzpatrick received proclamations in honor of their retirement at the meeting, and Boyle received his proclamation in July.
Powell has served in the department since 1994. He was appointed to corporal in 1999, sergeant in 2002, lieutenant in 2009 and chief in 2016. Powell is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy. He received 41 letters of appreciation throughout his time in the police department, including one for Hurricane Irene.
Fitzpatrick has served in the department since 1994. He was promoted to sergeant in 2007 and lieutenant in 2016. He received a Top Cop Award in 1997, and 39 letters of appreciation, including one for good work with Hurricane Irene.
Boyle joined the department in 1994. He was appointed to corporal in 2002 and sergeant in 2007. In 2016, he was promoted to lieutenant and in 2017, he was promoted to captain. Boyle has received 41 letters of appreciation and was the Top Cop winner for 2000 and 2001.
McMahon joined the department 22 years ago. He was appointed to corporal in 2009, sergeant in 2015 and lieutenant in 2017. He has completed several leadership courses through the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
He has also supervised multiple divisions throughout his tenure in the department and has most recently served as the Patrol Division commander. He became a certified police academy instructor in 1999, certified traffic accident reconstructionist and was a member of the Somerset County Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Team from 1998-2006.
In addition to being a recipient of the CPR Life Saving Award in 2003, he is also the recipient of many letters of appreciation and commendations. McMahon will succeed Powell, who served approximately four years of service as chief for Hillsborough.
Following the multiple honors given to police officials at the Aug. 13 meeting, Mayor Frank DelCore expressed his gratitude toward Powell’s service as chief of police as well as Fitzpatrick’s.
“We have had a tremendous working relationship. He has been a tremendous asset to this community both as a police officer and his leadership,” DelCore said of Powell.
“We have been blessed with a tremendous polite force here, and Lt. Fitzpatrick helps to exemplify the incredible work that our police department does,” DelCore added.
Following the swearing-in of McMahon as the new police chief, DelCore noted that the multiple honors given out at the evening’s meeting as well as the promotion to McMahon are symbolic of the township’s police department.
“It’s always an honor to be able to bring on a new chief and swear them in,” the mayor said. “Our Hillsborough Police Department is continuously recognized as one of the best in the state, and it’s because of the great work of the people we have in the department, and I know it’s an honor to be able to lead the men and women of this department.”