Evesham Chief of Police Christopher Chew to retire after 25 years of service to Evesham

It’s a bittersweet time for Evesham Township as Chief of Police Christopher Chew has formally submitted for retirement after 25 years with the Evesham PD. He has served as Chief of Police since 2013.

In his time leading the department, Chief Chew and the Evesham PD have taken a proactive approach to law enforcement in a rapidly changing world. Chief Chew has ensured the department has remained at the forefront of adopting new technologies and new methods of police work that have allowed the department to more effectively protect and serve members of the Evesham community.

At the same time, Chief Chew has also recognized the importance of local police officers forging true bonds with the members of the community they serve. To that end, Chief Chew has overseen a great expansion of the department’s community policing initiatives, which provide more opportunities for members of the public to connect with officers in casual, relaxed settings, outside of typical service calls or other emergencies.

Chief Chew has said it’s always been his plan to retire after 25 years of service, and he’s excited to start the next chapter in his life.

“Serving as Chief of Police has been one of the greatest honors of my career.  Over the past nine years I have publicly commented that ‘it is easy to be the Chief of Police for Evesham Township Police Department,’ and this is due to the unwavering commitment, dedication and professionalism of our Sworn officers and talented civilian staff,” Chief Chew said. “Our staff has been steadfast in serving our community by adhering to our Mission Statement to ‘Protect, serve and enhance the quality of life of all citizens by providing a progressive and diverse police department through a dedicated, ethical and virtuous workforce.’ I want to thank each of our officers for their daily acts of bravery, heroism, kindness and compassion. These acts do not go unnoticed and are deeply valued by the community we serve.”

Chief Chew went on to also thank Mayor and Council, as well as the citizens of Evesham Township, for their support throughout his years of service.

“I would also like to publicly thank Mayor Veasy and Council for their unwavering support, both publicly and financially over the past three years, as we have had to navigate through the COVID pandemic and issues facing our community on a local and national level.  Finally, I would like to thank the citizens of Evesham Township for giving me and my agency support over the past twenty-five years. Evesham Township is really the number one town in the state, due to the residents and business owners who call Evesham home. I have truly valued my time serving the residents, and I will forever be grateful for the support this community has given to me and the police department.”

Mayor Jaclyn Veasy also commended Chief Chew on his years of remarkable service and said every member of the Evesham community should take great comfort in knowing their police department was guided by someone so truly dedicated to the safety and wellbeing of those in Evesham Township.

“On behalf of myself, Township Council, and every member of our community, I wish Chief Chew nothing but the best in his incredibly well-deserved retirement. We will forever appreciate his service to our township.” Mayor Veasy said. “Chief Chew has every distinguishing quality you can ask for in any officer of our department, but especially of our police command staff. He’s professional, personable, experienced, open to new ideas, and incredibly devoted to the community he serves. Our department has deserved every accolade and decoration achieved under his leadership. He will be missed.”

Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina also said the following in wishing Chief Chew well in his retirement.

“As the chief Law Enforcement Office of Burlington County, we naturally work closely with the police department in our largest town.  But I am also an Evesham resident.  From both perspectives, I have benefitted from the professionalism and active community engagement of the Evesham Township Police Department under Chief Chew’s leadership,” Prosecutor Coffina said. “As we have worked through multiple issues together that affect our community, Chris always sought a resolution that will best keep our residents safe, or, if concerning a case, that will lead to the most just result.  I have valued Chris’s friendship and partnership in programs like Straight . . . to Treatment throughout my tenure as County Prosecutor, and wish him a long, happy and healthy retirement.”

Just some of the milestones that were new or greatly expanded under Chief Chew’s leadership include:

• The department’s continued ranking in the top 1 percent of all police departments in the nation by achieving multiple re-accreditations under the national Commission on Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) in 2014, 2017 and 2020
• The ETPD becoming the first police department in New Jersey to fully outfit all officers with body worn cameras in 2014
• Overseeing the planning and expansion of the police department from 65 police officers to the current staffing level of 95 officers
• An expanded School Resource Officer Program since 2016 that now stations an officer at every school in the township during school hours on a daily basis
• Further support of Community Policing initiatives such as the Citizens Police Academy, Junior Police Academy, Police Explorer Program, the Police Chaplain Program, Evesham Town Watch, the annual National Night Out celebration and countless Community Policing meet-and-greet events at businesses, parks and other locations in town
• The creation of one of the first Officer Safety and Wellness Programs in the country in 2015 to assist members of the Evesham PD as they handle the daily stressors of being a police officer, with a commitment to ongoing training and physical fitness, psychological and mental well-being, resiliency, nutrition, spiritual, sleep, and diet discussions, along with mandated one-on-one personal visits with a police trained psychologist. This program has become a model for agencies across the country.
• Implementation of the “Straight to… Treatment” Program for the past several years, in which individuals struggling with addiction can visit the police station every Monday during select hours to and be put in direct contact with a recovery professional
• Creating the first 30x30 Advancing Women in Law Enforcement Campaign in the State of New Jersey.

Chief Chew formally submitted his letter of retirement on Dec. 22, 2021. He will serve throughout Jan. 31, 2022.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ABOUT CHIEF CHEW'S BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION OF THE EVESHAM PD WEBSITE