New Chief Settles Into Chatham Township

CHATHAM, NJ - Thomas Miller's serious demeanor drained away as soon as he completed his oath of office as Chatham Township's 12th Police Chief on Sept. 13. As he approached the podium to give remarks he smiled broadly and told his mother not to take pictures.

"It is very humbling for me to be standing here having been appointed the 12th Chief of Police of the Chatham Township Police Department," Miller said. "I'd like to say a special thank you to Morris County Prosecutor Fred Knapp and fellow chiefs for taking time out of their busy schedules to be here tonight."

Miller was effusive in his praise, thanking all the Chatham employees for "making working for Chatham Township more enjoyable" as well friends and family who traveled great distances to be there.

"Especially my mother and stepfather who drove all the way up from Florida," Miller said.

Miller thanked the men and women under his command and the governing body for "for having the faith in me to lead the finest officers in law enforcement."

Miller also thanked his wife, Nicole and children Amanda and Darren for standing by him.

"And for putting up with my hectic schedules and so-called moodiness," Miller said. "Most importantly for being encouraging, being my cheerleaders and for standing beside me as a I chase my career dreams."

Chatham Township Mayor Curt Ritter said that Miller was the total package.

"Chief Miller exemplifies everything you look for in a Police Chief: experience, dedication, leadership, intelligence, passion, and the ability to connect with people," Ritter said. "His background and prior efforts around our emergency management and accreditation initiatives have been instrumental to strengthening the Department."

Ritter credits Miller for making changes in the department since he took over as officer-in-charge. Miller has been the commanding officer since Chief Steven Hennelly retired, effective Aug. 1.

"He has the respect of his officers and is already taking steps to increase the Department’s interactions with the community as evidenced through his Coffee with a Cop program," Ritter said. "I look forward to continuing to work closely with the Chief to ensure that Chatham remains one of the safest towns in New Jersey."

Chatham Township was named the 44th safest community in New Jersey this month by Safewise, a company dedicated to reviewing and analyzing security systems.

In its list of the Top 50 Safe Safest Communities in New Jersey, Safewise reports that Cranford boasts a 7.14 percent rate of violent crime.

To create the Top 50 list, Safewise uses the data from the 2016 FBI's Crime in the U.S. Report, in addition to the company's own comprehensive investigation.

The evaluation is based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) in each city. If there was a tie, we also factored in the number of property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft). To level the playing field, the company calculated the rate of crimes per 1,000 people in each city. This makes it easier to directly compare the likelihood of these crimes occurring in cities with vastly different populations, they said.

For his part, Miller said he was honored to carry the ball forward.

"Than you for having the faith in me to carry on the legacy of greatness that has become the norm in the Chatham Township Police Department," Miller said.

(Photo courtesy of Shutterstock)

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