WATCH: Westfield's Police Chief Take The Oath Thursday

WESTFIELD, NJ - The new year has just begun and the governing body in Westfield is poised to hit the ground running Thursday during their annual reorganization meeting.

Beyond the appointment of volunteers to various boards and commissions, the prizes awarded for the gingerbread house competition, and the annual state of the town address the meeting will include the formal swearing in of Police Chief Christopher Battiloro.

Battiloro joined the Westfield Police Department in 1997 as a Patrol Officer and, in his 21 years of service, has held a variety of roles, completed a broad range of specialized training, and has received numerous commendations, including two Westfield Police Department Life Saving Awards and four Westfield Police Department Command Citation Awards. Most recently, he served as Captain of Police as the commanding officer of the Administrative Division from 2013 to his August 2018 appointment as Acting Chief of Police.

Battiloro took the post of acting chief after the previous chief, David Wayman, retired after a pair of controversial incidents lead him to a meeting with the Union County Prosecutor's office and the town's labor counsel.

"I look forward to building further community engagement between the Police Department and the residents of Westfield," he said. "And remain committed to the highest standards with which I have been entrusted by the Mayor and Town Council."

Battiloro is a graduate of Westfield High School and Clemson University, and resides in Cranford with his wife and three children.

According to Mayor Shelley Brindle, after an extensive and thorough search process, Town Administrator Jim Gildea made the recommendation to make Battiloro the permanent chief, which received the consent of the Mayor and the unanimous approval of the Town Council.

Brindle said she was looking forward to the meeting.

"It will be a great start to 2019," she said.

The meeting is set for Jan. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Westfield Municipal building. You can watch the meeting live on the town's Facebook page.

(Photo courtesy of the Town of Westfield)

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