Township swears in new police officer
New hire, recent departure, 10-year officer honored by board
UPPER GWYNEDD » The Upper Gwynedd Police Department has now added a new officer, recognized another for a decade of service, and thanked a third for his time with the department.
On Monday night, the township formally welcomed new Officer Montana Lighthart, honored Officer Jonathan Gill for ten years of service, and recognized recently departed Officer Evan Meoli.
“In our department, we retire a badge number when someone leaves, even if it’s a relatively short stay,” said Police Chief David Duff.
“In that sense, Evan will always be a part of our family, and (badge number) 59 is not going to get used again. We appreciate the service that you gave to us, and we’re looking forward to the start for 62,” he said.
The department’s badge number 62 now belongs to Lighthart, a new hire who’s a resident of Lower Merion Township and graduated from Shippensburg University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, followed by a 2018 graduation from the Montgomery County Municipal Police Academy. As Lighthart received his oath from District Judge Suzan Leonard before dozens of family and friends, commissioner Katherine Carter read details of his biography to welcome him to town.
“He has been a deputy with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department since August of 2018, serving in both the courts and transportation divisions,” Carter said.
She then thanked the township’s Civil Service Commission for testing, vetting and recommending Lighthart as an eligible candidate, and Duffy joked that Lighthart’s family had “the hardest job of the night,” pinning his new badge onto his uniform.
After the new officer was recognized, to a round of applause and handshakes with the commissioners and staff, Carter similarly led a recognition for Gill, noting he serves as the department’s Taser instructor and firearms training officer, and has created several training courses for his fellow officers.
“As part of his additional duties, Officer Gill is our abandoned vehicle officer. This may not sound very glamorous, but we take it very seriously, since it is a quality of community issue for our township,” Carter said.
Duffy also acknowledged Meoli for recognition, noting that he had recently left Upper Gwynedd’s police force for a similar job in Upper Merion Township, and said Meoli is “doing a great job for them.”
For more information on the Upper Gwynedd Police Department visit www.uppergwyneddpolice.org, search for “Upper Gwynedd Police Department” on Facebook or follow @UGPD on Twitter.