There have been several changes at the Plainsboro Police department recently. Lieutenant Troy Bell, a 25-year veteran of the department, retired from the force to pursue other career opportunities. Said Chief Guy Armour, “Bell was in charge of the Administrative Division, which meant he oversaw buildings and maintenance, the budget, and grants. His work on the force was outstanding; he was very meticulous with the budget and with other responsibilities. I trained under him, and he is also a good friend to me and to the department. He became eligible for retirement, had put his time in, and decided it was time to go. He will be missed.”
“His replacement is Lieutenant George Cier, although I realigned the three lieutenant positions somewhat. So Lieutenant Cier will be heading up the Patrol Division, which means he is in charge of scheduling, ensuring that we are appropriately staffed — all of the officers on the street are his responsibility,” Armour continued.
“Cier, who has two associates’ degrees from Mercer County Community College in criminal justice and electrical engineering, came from Monroe, where he was a fire captain prior to becoming a police officer. He started with Plainsboro in 2002. He was assigned to the patrol division, and then joined the Detectives Bureau as a juvenile detective. He was promoted to corporal of the patrol division in 2007, and in 2010 he was promoted again to sergeant.”
Eamon Blanchard was promoted to sergeant. Blanchard, who holds a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers in administration of justice and a master’s degree in criminal justice from Boston University, started with the Plainsboro police in 2001, also in the patrol division. He then served in the detective bureau from 2005 to 2009.
“Blanchard held a myriad of responsibilities while in the detective bureau,” said Armour. “He was appointed as the narcotics liaison to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, and also served on the Narcotics Task Force at the county level, which is a difficult and prestigious position. He also worked as a field training officer and as a physical fitness training officer, both of which require an instructor’s certificate. He was promoted to a corporal in the patrol division in 2009, and is now a sergeant in that division.”
Due to Bell’s retirement and the subsequent promotions, there is currently an opening for a patrol officer. “We have one position right now, and may have another one in the future. We are in the process of interviewing candidates, and plan on having at least one candidate attend the police academy in July,” Armour said.
