Officer Richard Schaffer, who began his law enforcement career in Cheltenham Township on January 3, 2000, was sworn in at the rank of Lieutenant during the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners on Wednesday, March 20.
He will serve as Detective Division Commander, the township said in a social media post.
From the township’s bulletin:
Schaffer has served in a variety of assignments over his 24 years of service with the Cheltenham Police Department: Patrol Officer, Detective, Patrol Sergeant, Professional Standards Unit Sergeant, Administrative Staff Services Unit Sergeant, and most currently as Detective Sergeant for 6 years.
During his time as Administrative Staff Services Sergeant, Rich served as PLEAC Accreditation Manager and played a major role in updating department directives. In addition, he had served as Quarter Master, responsible for uniforms, equipment, and budgeting. He was also tasked with transitioning the department from being self-dispatched to utilizing Montgomery County Police Radio. As one of the first larger departments to transition, Cheltenham became a model used for transitioning other departments.
Lt. Schaffer is also cross-sworn through Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office and serves on the firearm violent crimes taskforce, which is tasked with reducing gun violence by investigating gun crimes, detecting straw purchases of firearms, and successfully prosecuting these cases. As Detective Sergeant, Rich supervised numerous high-profile criminal investigations in the Township and has developed a network of law enforcement contacts at the Federal, State, and County levels. He also serves as a member of Montgomery County SWAT Eastern Team and has served as a Team negotiator and has responded to numerous critical incidents over his 21 years with the SWAT team.
Lt. Schaffer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Penn State University in political science, with a minor in history, and he holds a graduate degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis on Intelligence Analysis from St. Joseph’s University.
In related news, Cheltenham Township is looking to fill a number of open full-time positions, including a paramedic, a Human Resources Coordinator, a Director of Parks & Recreation, a Coordinator of Parks & Recreation, a Maintenance Assistant, and a Benefits and Payroll Specialist.
Summer openings include lifeguards, counselors, swim coaches, pool managers, and more.
For the full list of openings, you can click here.
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Photos: Cheltenham Township