A Changing Of The Guard In Stafford - Dellane Tapped As New Police Chief

Stafford Township will have a new chief of police at midnight on June 1.

Mayor John Spodofora and Township Council members recently selected Capt. Thomas J. Dellane to replace current Chief Joseph Giberson

"I am both honored and humbled that Mayor Spodofora and the council have chosen me to lead the department," he said. "It is an awesome responsibility that I will not take lightly," he told Patch.

Dellane has already planned the two short-term goals he wants to achieve in his first year.

He wants the department to earn the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police accreditation program.

"My second goal is to enhance our training program to strengthen our officer's crisis de-escalation skills as well as our ability to respond to and assist individuals struggling with mental health and other social issues," Dellane said.

Dellane is a 28-year veteran of the department. He began as a patrolman on Aug. 31, 1987 and gradually worked his way up to sergeant, detective sergeant, lieutenant and captain.

He holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Stockton University and a law degree from Rutgers University-Camden School of Law.

Photo credit: Stafford Township Police Department