It’s no secret that Newtown Square is a special place to live, work and raise a family. Everywhere you go, you can easily find 2nd, 3rd and even 4th
generations of families who value our community for its neighborhoods, schools and community pride.
But it’s also no secret that Newtown Township has seen record growth in recent years. New housing developments and retail town centers are being constructed, which means more residents, more visitors, more traffic and an increased need to keep our friends and neighbors safe.
In response to the needs of our community, the Newtown Township Police Department worked hard to expand its police force over the past year, adding five officers who bring experience and vitality to the department. Police Chief Christopher Lunn explained that the new hires were brought on to expand the department and replace three highly decorated officers who retired in 2023. “We had a goal to assign four Patrol Officers to each of our four Platoons, and we achieved that,” he said.
The first Officer to retire this year was Sergeant Joe Vandegrift, who dedicated 25 years of service to the Newtown Township Police Department before retiring in April. During his time, Sgt. Vandegrift received three Distinguished Unit commendations and an Honorable Service award. Lieutenant Mike Savitski retired in May after completing 41 years of service to our community. Lt. Savitski received three Life Saving awards, five Meritorious Service Medals, multiple Service Citations and Good Conduct awards. Later that month, Patrolman First Class Joseph Alonso retired after 25 years of service to Newtown Township.
Pfc. Alonso received five Life Saving awards, two Distinguished Unit commendations and three Specialty Graduate awards. All three officers were awarded Township Resolutions, recognizing them for their years of service.
“Replacing three officers with a combined 100+ years of experience is tough,” Chief Lunn said. “But we were fortunate to have found five officers ready and willing to train and learn from our seasoned department.” He explained that these new hires each partner with a Field Training Officer and complete a rigorous 15-week training program. Chief Lunn also said that the entire department participates in monthly continuing training in
various aspects of law enforcement.
Joining our Newtown Township Police Department this year are Patrolmen Collin Crow, Joseph “JJ” Yocum, Sean Doyle, Solomon Lewis and Michael Martin. Officer Crow graduated from Sun Valley High School and West Chester University, earning a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. He previously worked full-time for the West Chester University Police Department and part-time for the Bethel Township Police Department. Officer Yocum is a graduate of Marple Newtown High School and the Delaware County Municipal Police Academy. He previously worked for the Darby Borough Police Department, Philadelphia Police Department and the Chester Police Department, where he received the 2022 Officer of the Year Award.
Justice and the Delaware County Police Academy. “After graduating from the Academy in 2021, I was hired by the Darby borough police department, where I worked for eight months,” Sean said. “While there, I gained valuable experience, but I feel fortunate to come back to serve in the area where I grew up and hope to settle down someday and raise a family.” Sean looks forward to seeing the Newtown Township grow, getting to know the residents, and helping the community.
Like Sean, Officer Michael Martin is also a Newtown Square resident and graduate of Saint Anastasia School, Archbishop Carroll, and the Delaware County Municipal Police Academy. Before joining Newtown Township, Michael was employed as an officer in the Sharon Hill Borough Police Department. In addition to his service to our community, he is serving our nation as a member of the Pennsylvania National Guard. Michael said, “There is no better feeling than being able to serve the town that raised me and helped shape me into who I am as a person today.”
Officer Solomon Lewis joined the Newtown Township Police Department after graduating from Delaware County Community College Police Academy in 2022. He is currently attending Cabrini University working toward a degree in Criminology. He then spent six months with the Morton Borough Police Department before joining Newtown Township. “Serving the residents of Newtown Township has been nothing short of a blessing,” Solomon remarked. “I am surrounded by extremely knowledgeable and great people every day, making it a lot easier to be the new guy.” Solomon said that he is excited to continue learning and growing as a person and police officer.
The department also promoted two Officers in 2023. William “Billy” Moor was promoted from Detective to Detective Sergeant and is also a Central Delaware County Tactical Response Team member. Dan Strathy was promoted from Patrolman to Sergeant. Sergeant Strathy currently serves as an Accreditation Manager for the police department and is attending West Chester University, working towards his master’s degree in criminal justice.
The Newtown Township Police Department is committed to providing professional, responsive, and quality service that sets the standard for others to follow. In 2019, they completed a multi-year process to receive accreditation from the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission (PLEAC), and the Department also achieved accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA), which the International Chiefs of Police Association sponsors. “I am very proud of the members of Newtown Township’s police department and pleased to announce that in August, we received re-accreditation from CALEA,” said Chief Lunn. “CALEA re-accreditation proves our commitment to upholding the highest standards in public safety.”
On behalf of your Newtown Square Friends & Neighbors, we would like to thank the entire Newtown Township Police Department for their steadfast dedication to serving and protecting our community. May our recently retired officers enjoy their new paths, and may our new and newly promoted officers continue to protect and serve with our utmost respect and appreciation.