After nearly 28 years with the Lawrence Township police department, chief of police Daniel Posluszny is set to retire, effective Jan. 1, 2014.
“The main reason is, it’s time,” Posluszny said. “I’d like to do something else. I’ve always wanted to do something else at some point in my life, and I think it’s a good time now.”
Posluszny, 49, has spent the last 11 years working as chief of the department after quickly moving through the ranks over the years.
But working as a police officer had never been one of Posluszny’s goals growing up. As a kid, he spent most of his time at Slackwood Firehouse near his home in Colonial Heights, where his parents still live today.
Even before he was old enough to start volunteering as a fireman, Posluszny would visit the firehouse after school and during the summer to help wash the trucks and hang out with the members.
Those members, Posluszny said, helped him transition and gain skills when he became a policeman.
“I was with a whole bunch of different guys of different backgrounds and different humor that kind of helped me along the way…becoming a cop. Taught me a lot of life lessons,” he said.
It was his friends at Slackwood who convinced him to take the police test; they were taking the test, and Posluszny decided to give it a try and see how he did.
As it turned out, he placed No. 4 in the test, and two years later on Aug. 30, 1985, he was hired for his first full time job—ever—with the Lawrence police department.
Posluszny ascended quickly through the ranks with the Lawrence Township police department after he was first hired at 20-years old. Now, his 11 years as chief marks the longest time he held one position in the department.
But he’s quick to say that some of his favorite work was the duties of patrolman.
“I loved that job, I still do, to this day,” Posluszny said. “Meeting people, doing different things every day…I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed stopping cars, I enjoyed doing investigations. It was just a ton of fun.”
In 1991, Posluszny placed second on the sergeant’s test and began working on patrol as a road supervisor until 1996, when he made lieutenant. At that time, he began working in internal affairs and community policing; he focused a lot on hiring and grants because of the money made available when then-President Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act in 1994.
He then worked as patrol commander after he made captain in March 1999, and in January of 2002, became deputy chief of police under then-chief John Prettyman. In July of that same year, Prettyman retired and Posluszny took over as chief.
While still working for the department, Posluszny also continued his education, obtaining his bachelor’s degree from Trenton State and master’s doctorate degrees from Seton Hall. Now, he also teaches as an adjunct at Rutgers University in Piscataway and teaches a Fairleigh Dickinson course at Mercer County Community College.
In the 28 years since Posluszny joined the police force, much has changed about the department, Posluszny said, including upgrades in technology that have changed the way the police can share information.
“You’re able to instantaneously get information to other police departments and compare information, where years ago you would have to physically sit at a desk and call somebody,” Posluszny said. “Now, you can do it from a car either by computer or check a database or call on a cell phone.”
But it’s not the only change. When Posluszny first began as a road officer, the department was run with a structured, militaristic style, because many of the officers were veterans of WWII and the Vietnam and Korean wars. Now, Posluszny said, the department has become much more collaborative, including holding meetings to discuss community issues and different approaches to find the best solutions.
“We’ll sit here and try to figure out a plan of action how to solve it,” Posluszny said. “I always say ‘well, it’s worse not to do anything than to do something that doesn’t work.’”
But it’s not just the way the department is run that’s changed; it’s the makeup of the department, too.
“Diversity is much better now and much more important,” Posluszny said. “It should have been years ago. We should have been doing stuff like that, and be more representative of the population. It makes a big difference in how you respond to the community.”
Now, he said, the department is in a good place, with good leadership.
Posluszny’s passion for serving the community has not gone unnoticed by his colleagues, either. Lt. Tom Ritter, who has served with Lawrence police for nearly 20 years, said the chief will be missed.
“He’s always been a big believer in service to the community, and really doing everything that we can to help the community and help whoever calls us, whatever their needs are,” Ritter said. “I’ve learned a lot working for him, working with him. He’s done a great job here as chief.”
He also recalled one of his first encounters with the chief, on Ritter’s first day on the job, when he and another officer encountered the chief at roll call.
“He was the sergeant giving roll call, and we were challenged to spell his name,” Ritter said. “I think we got it right, but I think that was more luck than anything else.”
Det. Bill Chester, who’s worked for the department for nearly 24 years, said he most admired Posluszny for his drive to complete his academic degrees while still serving the department.
“What I really can appreciate about [the chief] is the fact that not only did he become chief of police, he was always big on education…He just epitomized to me as a person that he climbed two mountains at the same time,” Chester said. “That’s just a heck of an accomplishment, and I applaud him for having that type of drive.”
“He had to be very disciplined to do that, his education and his dedication to being the top law enforcement officer in Lawrence Township,” Chester said. “And still have the humility to laugh and enjoy life as well was definitely an attribute of [the chief].”
Chester’s cousin, now-retired officer Ernest Chester, had often encouraged Posluszny to pursue a higher position with the department. And in a similar manner, Posluszny also tried many times to persuade Bill Chester to take the lieutenant’s exam.
Chester said he also respected Posluszny as a person, someone he could call a friend as well as a dependable and dedicated colleague, who could always see the humor in situations, too.
“You could be anywhere in that police station, and you could hear him laughing,” Chester said. “He loves to laugh.”
Though Posluszny had no immediate plans of what he’ll do after retirement, he was still tossing around some ideas as of press time. He hoped to find another full time job, continue teaching, and possibly do some volunteer work.
“You might have your sights set on something, but maybe take what comes up, because you might make a difference, you might enjoy it,” he said he tells his students. “And that’s kind of what I’m gonna do.”
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