Lifelong Emmaus resident Jason Apgar was sworn in as the new Emmaus Police Department chief Feb. 7 by Mayor Lee Ann Gilbert.

Apgar says he is “excited to show what this agency can do” as he implements his vision for the police department during his tenure.

Apgar said as Emmaus residents begin to look at the COVID-19 isolations and restrictions in the rearview mirror, “our officers are looking forward to being more involved in community events.”

Open discussion is the most effective aspect of community policing, Apgar said.

“We need to get back to helping residents learn how they can best avoid being victims of such criminal activities as fraud and scams,” Apgar said.

He said engagement with the public will reinforce the department’s efforts to “walk with them and help them solve some of the difficulties they find themselves in.”

He cited examples of drug and alcohol abuse as ways his patrol officers can be part of an early warning system. “We want to be able to intervene and link residents to borough and county aid systems before personal problems lead to public problems requiring involvement in the criminal justice system.”

Apgar said Emmaus has a great number of events that will be opening back up this year after COVID-19 and he wants his officers to participate in them.

The chief said he intends to have the police department involved in activities like National Night Out, Heroes Night in September at the Emmaus Library and the many entertainment and festival activities in the borough.

Apgar is especially looking forward to National Night Out activities this coming summer. “The last previous time we were able to sponsor those activities at our police station, we were able to interact with hundreds of area residents.”

Apgar also envisions helping residents get to know department officers better through profiles in the borough newsletter. He will also continue the tradition of an “open door” policy through which residents can ask questions, make comments or voice complaints directly to the chief.

He also monitors comments and questions on the general police department email account.

Beside the advantage of growing up in Emmaus, which provided a good sense of the borough’s culture, Apgar is well equipped in his law enforcement education and experience.

After graduating from Emmaus High School in 1990, Apgar gained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Moravian College in 1994.

He worked as an auxiliary officer for the Emmaus Police Department while attaining his degree and police academy training.

He graduated from the Allentown Police Academy in 1998 and worked as a part-time patrol officer with the Upper Saucon and Coopersburg police agencies.

He was hired as a full-time Emmaus officer in 2000. He was elevated to a department detective in 2002 and detective sergeant in 2016.

Apgar earned a Master of Arts degree in criminal justice and digital forensics at DeSales University in 2014.

He was named deputy chief in June 2021 and served under Chief Troy Schantz until a borough personnel search committee recommended him to be chief after Schantz retired.

He was affirmed by borough council to be the next chief in January of this year.

Apgar and his wife, Angela reside in Emmaus.