Aberdeen Promotes Deputy Chief Rick Derechailo to Chief of Police

Aberdeen Township has promoted Deputy Chief Rick Derechailo to Chief of Police, taking the reins from John T. Powers who retired after a 36-year career with the township’s force.

Derechailo, 60, joined the department in 1985 as a patrol officer and rose through the ranks to become a Detective in 1990, a Sergeant assigned to the Patrol Division in 1992, Commander of the Detective Bureau in 1995, Lieutenant in 2003, and Deputy Chief in 2006. Derechailo’s community involvement includes serving as a member of the Cliffwood Volunteer Fire Company No.1 since 1976, serving on the Board of Fire Commissioners District 2 Cliffwood for seven years, serving as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for the Aberdeen Matawan School District from 2006 to 2018, and serving as a member of the Matawan Football Alumni Foundation since 2008. He holds a Master of Administrative Science Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University.

Powers began his career with the department as a patrol officer in 1982 and rose through the ranks to be named Sergeant in 1988, Lieutenant in 1994, Deputy Chief in 2003 and Chief in 2006. During his tenure, Powers served terms as President of the Monmouth County Police Chiefs Association and Bayshore Task Force, and was also Aberdeen’s Emergency Management Coordinator. He graduated from Stockton State University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice in 1981, and also attended the Monmouth County Police Academy, FBI National Academy and holds the Accredited Chief Executive designation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. Powers’ community involvement includes serving as coach with the Aberdeen-Matawan youth soccer, basketball and softball leagues; Matawan-Aberdeen Babe Ruth Baseball; and St. Joseph’s Youth Basketball.

“The appointment of Chief Derechailo, a 33-year veteran of the Aberdeen Township Police Department ensures a seamless transition, one in which the department will not skip a beat,” said Mayor Fred Tagliarini. “Over the years, he has demonstrated the highest qualities necessary for this position and we all have the upmost confidence in his ability to lead the department. Furthermore, he is deeply involved in our community and has the support and respect of the entire Aberdeen Police Department.”

“When thinking of Chief Powers, words like integrity, leadership, commitment and honesty quickly come to mind,” Mayor Tagliarini added. “It was an honor to have Chief Powers in command and a comfort to know that he was in charge during weather emergencies as well as during the day-to-day operation of the department.”

During Powers’ tenure, the department implemented a number of technological advances, including Info-Cop, a wireless-based law enforcement software that provides officers in the field with direct access to local, state and federal crime databases; LiveScan, an automated fingerprint system that allows officers to fingerprint offenders electronically and transmit the impressions via computer directly to the NJ State Police; Automated License Plate Readers; and ICOP, a digital in-car system that records video that can be downloaded to a server at police department headquarters.