‘Joining a wonderful team.’ Ferguson Township names familiar face as new police chief
Ferguson Township tapped a familiar face to lead its police department.
The township’s supervisors voted Tuesday to appoint John Petrick as chief. The vote was unanimous. He’s slated to join the department Jan. 3.
“I really appreciate the opportunity of joining a wonderful team,” Petrick said during the board meeting. “...I’m very much looking forward to a very, very bright future with the Ferguson Township Police Department.”
His salary is not known; the township did not immediately respond Thursday. Petrick was scheduled to earn nearly $120,000 this year leading Ephrata police, a department in Lancaster County that serves a population of about 13,800 with 31 full-time police officers.
The Ferguson Township Police Department is Petrick’s fourth in nearly as many years.
He spent more than two decades with Patton Township police, including 16 years as chief. He resigned in 2017 to become the chief of administration for Penn State police.
Petrick left the university police department in September 2019. He’s led Ephrata police since fall 2020.
“Chief Petrick has a history of leadership in the Centre Region and we look forward to working with him,” the Ferguson Township Police Officers Association wrote in a statement.
The township worked with recruiting and consulting firm GovHR on a national search to fill the position vacated by Chris Albright, who retired earlier this year after three decades with his hometown police department. Sgt. Ryan Hendrick filled in as officer-in-charge.
The two-month application period yielded 25 resumes from nine states, including 13 from Pennsylvania. Nearly two dozen local government and law enforcement officials offered input; a community input survey was also conducted.
Petrick, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York University, began his law enforcement career as a New York City police officer in 1987.
“We are honored to bring Chief Petrick aboard and look forward to the wealth of experience and guidance he will bring to the Ferguson Township Police Department,” township Manager Centrice Martin said in a statement.