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Chester swears in new patrol officer, approves cadet hires and drops residency requirement
Summary
City council appointed and swore in a new full-time patrol officer and approved per-diem cadet hires; council amended the hiring resolution to remove a residency requirement introduced in the posted resolution.
Chester City Council passed resolutions Wednesday to appoint a full-time patrol officer and multiple per-diem police cadets, and the body amended language in the patrol officer resolution to remove a residency requirement.
The council approved a resolution appointing Pierce Gilsonen as a patrol officer, effective Dec. 2, 2024. During roll call on the resolution, councilors voted yes: Gibson, Green, West, Davis and Mayor Stefan Roots. Before the vote Councilor Green requested that the residency requirement included in the posted resolution be removed, saying the city had previously lifted any resident-only hiring rule. Council adopted the amendment and then approved the resolution.
The resolution as read initially required the new patrol officer to reside in Chester for the first five years of employment and to submit proof of residency within three months; it also referenced a 50-mile residency limit afterward. Council removed the residency requirement during the meeting and directed staff to correct the resolution language accordingly.
Per-diem cadets and swearing-in
Council also appointed Daniel McNeal and other per-diem police cadets at an hourly rate of $15, effective Dec. 2, 2024; the cadets are required to obtain certification and complete pre-employment requirements. On motion and roll call, the appointments passed unanimously. City officials said the cadets who must attend the police academy are not expected on patrol until they complete training in 2025.
One full-time appointee, Pierce Gilsonen, was sworn in at the meeting. Mayor Stefan Roots administered the oath of office while the assembled council and family members attended. After his oath, Officer Gilsonen introduced himself and said he had policing experience with nearby boroughs and said he looked forward to serving Chester.
Why it matters
Council and police officials said the hires are part of a broader recruitment and staffing push. The police chief said the department had run two police tests over the past year and that more officers will come on in early and mid-2025 as academy cadets graduate and the newly appointed officers complete certification. The chief framed the effort as moving staffing “up to par” and emphasized "accountability and transparency." Mayor Roots and council members highlighted the community-policing emphasis and said they expect the new officers to engage with residents.
Ending
Council voted to approve the hiring resolutions and to amend the patrol officer resolution to remove residency language. Staff were directed to revise the official resolution text to reflect the change before inclusion in the personnel records.
