New Police Chief In Parsippany With Richard Pantina's Promotion

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Richard Pantina is no longer "acting." Mayor James Barberio held a small promotional ceremony Tuesday afternoon, elevating Pantina into his new role as Parsippany's police chief.

Pantina was Parsippany's deputy chief when former Police Chief Andrew Miller retired in July 2021. Miller's retirement elevated Pantina to the acting-chief role, while his official rank remained deputy chief until Tuesday's ceremony.

• Related article: 'Steadfast Leadership': Parsippany Police Chief Retires

Pantina has spent 36 years in law enforcement — almost all of them in Parsippany. The township hired him in July 1989 after he served as a police officer in Elizabeth.

Since then, Pantina has held several roles, including commander of the Investigative Division, which oversees internal affairs and the adult and juvenile detective sections; lieutenant in the Patrol Division, where he oversaw his patrol section's daily operations; and community-relations officer, while assigned to the Support Services Division.

Pantina has earned several awards for exceptional police service, along with numerous command and unit citations. The chief is pursuing a bachelor's degree in public and emergency services at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He also graduated from the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police Command and Leadership Program.