Needham Police Name John Schlittler New Police Chief

Friday marked Phillip Droney’s last day as Needham’s police chief and Lt. John Schlittler has taken over the role, reports WickedLocal Needham.

Droney is retiring after 34 years on the force and has worked closely with Schlittler throughout his career. Both Schlittler and Droney followed similar paths to the position. Both grew up in Needham and had always dreamed of joining the police force. They also served in a variety of departments while on the force.

WickedLocal reports:

Also having grown up in Needham, Schlittler was influenced by the officers he met in town who were involved with the schools and town sports. Seeing the way they interacted with the kids and residents was appealing he said. Though both Droney and Schlittler pursued their interest in joining the police force, neither expected to become chief. That decision evolved as their work took them through the various departments they said. For Droney, his role as a detective was his favorite. It allowed him to work with a lot of departments and organizations like the District Attorney’s office. Upon becoming chief, Droney continued that effort to build relationships inside and outside of Needham.

The newly-minted police chief Schlittler could not immediately be reached for comments. Check back with Needham Patch for more updates and comments from Schlittler.