Police Officer Promoted To Corporal In New Hope Borough

NEW HOPE BOROUGH, PA — The New Hope Borough Police Department on Tuesday added a corporal to its leadership ranks.

In a unanimous vote, the borough council voted to promote seven year department veteran James Giovinazzo to the rank of corporal. He was subsequently sworn in by Mayor Larry Keller.

Giovinazzo earned his B.A. in criminal justice from West Chester University and completed his Act 120 training at the Montgomery County Police Academy.

In New Hope Borough, he is a field training officer and is certified as a pepper spray and taser instructor. Additionally, he is a member of the Central Bucks Forensics Unit where he participates in forensics evidence recovery at major crime scenes that occur in 20 different municipalities.

The promotion brings the department up to three corporals, which Mayor Keller said is needed to cover the different shifts and to serve as mentors to the younger guys.

The department operated for many years with two corporals and a detective. That later morphed into having a sergeant and two corporals.

"During the last five to seven years we've had a sergeant retire so we've been going along with two corporals. It became evident to the chief we need to have three supervisors to cover the different shifts and be out there for the younger guys who have become a part of this department," said the mayor.

"Some months ago we asked council to authorize the Civil Service Commission to begin the process of hiring a third corporal," Keller added. "The council gave the chief permission. Letters went out to the officers who were eligible. Candidates then had to take an oral and written test. Those results are then presented to the commission, which certifies the test results."