Chief Douglas Pinelli, the Chief of the Pennington Borough Police Department, is poised to retire in a few months. Chief Pinelli has served in various public safety capacities for over thirty years.
The Chief’s history in public service goes back to his youth when he joined the Pennington Fire Company, along with his twin brother, Dave. Micky Pinelli, their father, was the Fire Company chief at the time. Both Doug and Dave rose through the ranks to follow in their father’s footsteps and become chiefs of the Pennington Fire Company.
Doug Pinelli would follow his dream of becoming a police officer. First in Belmar, New Jersey, and then returning to his hometown of Pennington, in 2004, as a patrol officer. He steadily rose through the ranks until being named chief.
Chief Pinelli stated, “The decision to retire was a difficult one. My wife and I spent many hours discussing our future plans. In the end, we knew that there were many other interests that we wanted to pursue while we were young enough to enjoy them.”
Asked what he thought he had accomplished as chief, Pinelli responded, “I think I helped to modernize the police department and helped them become more citizen-oriented.”
When asked if he had any regrets with his upcoming retirement, the Chief answered, “I wish I could have moved into a new police headquarters where our officers would have adequate space to do their jobs. I also wish I would have had the opportunity to prepare a plan for the future of the Police Department.”
“I was proud to work with the officers of the Pennington Police Department and I will miss the daily camaraderie,” Pinelli said.
“I gave six months notice to Borough Council so that they would not be caught short and would have adequate time to make decisions regarding the future of this department. I will always cherish my time here and wish nothing but the best for this Department, after all, Pennington is my hometown.”
