Buffalo Township hires new cop, inks 5-year deal with chief

The police force in Buffalo Township is expanding, and the chief has a new long-term contract.

Township supervisors on Wednesday unanimously approved the hiring of a new full-time officer, Jeffrey Swiklinski, who is retiring as Freeport’s police chief, according to Buffalo police Chief Tim Derringer. Swiklinski assumes his new position on Jan. 2.

“The township is growing, the chief needs more help,” said Supervisor Gary Risch, explaining the reason for the hire.

“This will give us a force of eight full-time officers and we believe we have a good guy in Mr. Swiklinski,” supervisors Chairman Ron Zampogna said.

“He has the experience, so it was an easy hire for me,” said Derringer.

With the move, Zampogna said the township really has a full-time department with only one part-time officer remaining on its roster. He said the lone part-timer works on a fill-in basis but has been used infrequently over the past year.

According to Risch, the township spent around $80,000 in overtime on its seven-man force during the past year. He said the hiring of Swiklinski will eliminate most of that cost and his salary and benefits costs have been built into the 2020 township budget.

Swiklinski will earn 80% of the current $51,000 salary for the township’s full-time officers, about $40,800, to start. He will receive 10% increases in each of the next two years to raise his salary up to the full-time level.

In a separate action, the supervisors unanimously approved a new five-year contract for Derringer.

Derringer has been the police chief for two years but has 20 years of service with the department.

Zampogna and Solicitor Larry Lutz said Derringer, who currently earns around $83,000 per year will receive 2.5% pay raises over the next two years and then 3.5% over the final three years of the contract. He will receive the same benefits as the rest of the force.

Although he is not a member of the police bargaining unit, Zampogna said, “He is following everything pretty much that is in the union contract.”

Derringer said he likes what he is doing and the officers he has in his department.

“I have the support of my guys,” he said. “I’m happy.”