Part-Time Officer Joins Newtown Borough Police Force

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — Rubia Branco Ebert has joined the Newtown Borough Police Department as a part-time officer.

Ebert was officially sworn in during a ceremony at borough hall this week led by Mayor John Burke and attended by Chief James Sabath, Council Vice President Tara Grunde-McLaughlin and members of the police force.

Borough Council extended a conditional offer of employment to Ebert at its September meeting pending successful completion of recertification as a police officer through the state’s Municipal Police Officers Education and Training Commission. She will be paid $23 an hour.

Ebert, a resident of Montgomery County, graduated from the Montgomery County Police Academy. She previously served as a deputy sheriff with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and most recently served as a full-time officer with the Whitemarsh Township Police Department.

Ebert is currently a physical fitness instructor with the police academy and, among her other certifications, is a trained police bicycle operator.

“I’m honored and excited to be a part of this police department,” she told council.

In other police news, Chief Sabath reported that the department handled 185 calls for service in August. Officers conducted 74 traffic stops resulting in 31 citations and 43 warnings being issued. The most common infraction was for rolling stop signs. Police also reported one traffic accident with no injuries.

“We had a couple of incidents with intoxicated individuals,” said the chief. “We found them sleeping different places and moved them along. We had two domestic disturbances, one in the middle of a restaurant which got a little hairy.

“We had a theft by deception investigation involving a contractor who failed to fulfill requirements,” he added.

“The department also engaged in a number of grant opportunities at the end of August and the beginning of September. We had a DUI checkpoint which we took part in. We also had roving DUI patrols, which were reimbursed by the state. We did have a 62 year old Newtown Township man who was arrested for drunk driving.”