He’s had some time to get used to being called “Chief.”
On New Year’s Day, Darnell Richardson he will get the fanfare.
As Morristown Green reported last week, Richardson has been promoted to full chief, the first Black chief in the town’s history. He served as acting chief since December 2018.
A ceremonial swearing-in is planned for Saturday’s council reorganization, at noon in the Thomas Jefferson School, the town announced on Thursday.
“It feels good,” Richardson, 54, said of the promotion.
The Morristown High grad always dreamed of becoming a cop, but never set his sights on becoming chief; the idea grew on him as he filled the interim slot, he said.
“I figured I could make a change. When I reached my 30-year career, I just wanted to retire and move on. But the opportunity became available, and I applied for it, took the test. I got the position,” Richardson said on Thursday, after a retirement ceremony for Aracelys Castillo of the records bureau.
The promotion occurred on Dec. 13, 2021, according to the town’s statement. Richardson said he was “humbled” to be the first person of color in this role.
“I stand on the shoulders of other African American supervisors; Lt. George Jenkins, Lt. Willie Caldwell, Sgt. Timothy Jones, and Sgt. Melvin Dumas, who led before me. This promotion is an honor and an acknowledgment of how far the department has come and how much further we can go,” the statement quotes him as saying.
Asked about the police bureau’s biggest challenge in 2022, Richardson cited staffing. At 52 officers, the bureau is eight officers shy of full strength, he said.
“It’s a work in progress. We are in the process of hiring two officers for the next class, which starts Jan. 10. And we’ll move from there. We’ll re-certify a list, try to get some guys into the next class,” which is in Passaic County, Richardson told Morristown Green.
Below is the town’s statement.
From the town of Morristown:
Richardson Appointed as permanent Morristown Police Chief
Morristown’s first black PD chief, capping a career over 30 years
In conjunction with the Morristown Bureau of Police, the Town of Morristown is proud to announce that Darnell Richardson was officially appointed Chief of Police on Dec. 13, 2021, dropping “Acting” from his title. This appointment makes Chief Richardson the first African-American Police Chief in the Town’s history.
At the upcoming Reorganization Meeting, to be held on Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, the Town will celebrate Chief Richardson’s ceremonial swearing-in.
“I am humbled and honored to serve as the next Chief of the Morristown
Police Department. To be selected as the first African-American Police chief
is a monumental accomplishment for not only me but for Morristown,” said
Chief Richardson, who went on to say, “My only goal was to become a police
officer in my hometown as a child. To hold the title of being the first African-American is something I never foresaw. I stand on the shoulders of other African American supervisors; Lt. George Jenkins, Lt. Willie Caldwell, Sgt. Timothy Jones, and Sgt. Melvin Dumas, who lead before me. This promotion is an honor and an acknowledgment of how far the department has come and how much further we can go.”
This appointment is a sterling achievement in Morristown’s rich history of evolving beyond segregation, which included the work from local activists such as former-councilwoman, first elected woman and person of color elected in Morris County, Beatrice Jenkins, and her husband, George Jenkins Sr., one of Morristown’s first black police officers.
In 2019, Chief. Richardson assumed the acting chief role after then-Chief Peter Demnitz retired from a 36-year career. Chief Richardson told Morristown Green’s Kevin Coughlin at the time his life’s dream, beginning as a kid, was to become a police officer.
Chief Richardson followed that dream and began his career over 30 years ago, in November 1989, working as a uniformed officer for Morristown. 2007 saw his first promotion to police sergeant, followed by an appointment to Lieutenant in 2011 and Captain in 2015. He assumed the acting chief position in the same year of his 30th anniversary with the Bureau.
Mayor Dougherty said, “I couldn’t be more proud of the appointment of Darnell Richardson as Chief of Morristown’s Bureau of Police. He has proven his capability and dedication to our citizens, and earned this prestigious position. I look forward to continuing our work together for the safety of all Morristownians.”
