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Council accepts Police Chief Thomas Ford’s retirement; moves to advertise chief position internally and externally
Summary
Monroe Borough Council accepted Chief Thomas Ford’s resignation with regret and voted to advertise the police chief vacancy both internally and externally, setting up a hiring process that will include interviews and a subcommittee.
Monroe Borough Council on June 17 accepted the resignation of Police Chief Thomas Ford, with an effective date the council recorded as Aug. 15, and then voted to advertise the vacancy both internally and externally.
Chief Ford made an abbreviated statement of resignation during the meeting; councilors voted “with regret” to accept it. Afterward, council debated whether to advertise only internally or to recruit externally as well. Some members argued recruiting externally would provide a broader candidate pool; others said internal advertising would protect morale.
Council chose a hybrid approach: the motion was amended and approved to advertise the chief position both internally and externally. Councilors also discussed forming a committee or subcommittee to review applicants; they agreed to limit the advisory committee to council members and community members and to decide specific appointments at a subsequent meeting.
Why it matters: The chief’s planned departure creates immediate personnel and operational questions for the police department. Councilors emphasized a desire to allow internal applicants while also considering outside candidates to ensure adequate options.
Next steps: The council directed staff to prepare advertisement language and to bring back recommendations for the membership of an advisory committee that will oversee the initial screening and interviews. No timeline for hiring was recorded at the meeting.
