**Editor’s note: A previous version of this story noted that Chief John Snyder was retiring. That is incorrect. Chief Snyder has been hired as West Manchester Township’s police chief.**
NEWBERRY TWP., York County — Newberry Township Chief of Police John Snyder reflected on his time within the department Thursday via a Facebook post.
Chief Snyder, who started as a patrol officer within the police department in 1990, will be the next police chief of West Manchester Township. His last day with Newberry Township is Friday.
“When I started here there were no signal lights, no walmart, no super rutters, no burger king, no KFC, No Red Mill Elementary School, No Ridgeview Development, No Reesers Estates, and many many more things did not exist,” Chief Snyder wrote. “The police cars had low band radios, no computers and we worked alone most of the time.”
Chief Snyder went on to discuss how the department has changed over the years.
“The department has hired many outstanding police officers, we have worked very hard on our community outreach program and most importantly, we built trust and legitimacy with this community,” the Facebook post reads.
He concluded by saying that Newberry Township Police has “some of the very best law enforcement professionals assembled anywhere.”
Chief Snyder became Sergeant in 1999 and was promoted to Lieutenant in 2004 before assuming the highest role in 2008.
Read his full Facebook post below:
Tomorrow will be my last day as a Newberry Township employee. I started here in 1990 as a patrol officer. When I started here there were no signal lights, no walmart, no super rutters, no burger king, no KFC, No Red Mill Elementary School, No Ridgeview Development, No Reesers Estates, and many many more things did not exist. The police cars had low band radios, no computers and we worked alone most of the time. We had ten police officers and one secretary named Zula Mae . I became a sergeant in 1999 under then Chief Bill Myers. In 2004 I was promoted to Lieutenant under Chief David Duffy. In 2008 I was promoted to Chief by the board of supervisors.
In the ten years I have been the Chief of Police a lot has changed here. The department has hired many outstanding police officers, we have worked very hard on our community outreach program and most importantly, we built trust and legitimacy with this community.
This police department has some of the very best law enforcement professionals assembled anywhere. I have seen countless acts of kindness, sacrifice, and heroism by these people and I am very proud to have worked with them and been their leader. The department will be in great hands with Acting Chief Steven Lutz and the future is very bright.
I would like to say thank you to each and every one of you for allowing me to serve you as a police officer. It has been my honor and privilege to work, live and raise my family here.
With deepest respect,
Chief John Snyder
