Ferguson Township appoints new police chief

The Board of Supervisors approved a new police chief at its meeting Monday night.

Sgt. Chris Albright will take over for retiring Chief Diane Conrad, effective June 30. Conrad has been police chief since 2004.

Narrowing down the list of about 30 applicants was a “rigorous” process, township Manager David Pribulka said.

His name kept coming to the top of a competitive list of applicants, Pribulka said.

Albright has been with the Ferguson Township Police Department for 25 years and is a lifelong resident of the township, Pribulka said.

Albright said he’s honored to represent the community.

“The feeling I have for being the police chief in my hometown is just utterly exciting,” he said.

Modern policing involves a lot of challenges and is always evolving, Albright said.

The goal for the department is to continue to grow to meet the expectations of the community, he said.

Albright’s passion is second to none, Pribulka said.

Conrad is the second local police chief to step down this year.

Patton Township police Chief John Petrick tendered his resignation with the department in April to take a job with Penn State University Police and Public Safety. He’d been chief for 15 years.

This story was originally published June 19, 2017 at 8:01 PM with the headline "Ferguson Township appoints new police chief."