A familiar face in the Ferguson Township community will be the township’s next police chief.
The Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors on Monday approved the appointment of Sgt. Chris Albright to become the next chief of police, effective June 30.
Albright, who has been with the department for 25 years, will succeed Chief Diane Conrad, who has been in the role since 2004 and announced in March that she planned to retire.
Township Manager Dave Pribulka said Albright was selected during a rigorous recruitment process from more than 30 qualified candidates, a list that was narrowed through a series of interviews with staff, other municipal managers. a community stakeholder group and a hiring consultant.
‘Consistently and without exception during the recruitment process his name was at the top of a long and competitive list,’ Pribulka said. ‘He has earned the support and respect of his peers and fellow officers, and his passion and commitment to the profession of law enforcement is second to none.’
A lifelong resident of the township, Albright has worked in law enforcement for more than 30 years. He graduated from State College Area High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Penn State and a master’s in security management from Bellevue University.
‘I’m honored and very excited to represent the community both in this new role as police chief and in my former role as a police officer,’ Albright said. ‘Modern policing involves a lot of challenges and is always evolving. One of the things for me is my goal is to provide that leadership for the department to take us into that next step.’
Albright has been a bicycle officer, field training officer, a member of the tactical response team and a member of the hostage negotiation team.
As an administrative sergeant, he has managed the department’s vehicle fleet, conducted internal affairs investigation, and handled background checks for new hires while also supervising the records office and the detective unit and serving as traffic detail coordinator.
In his current role, Albright has been second in command for the department.
‘The goal for our department is to continue to grow to meet the expectations of the community. I look forward to that,’ Albright said. ‘I’ve got a lot of family here and without their support I wouldn’t be here today. I want to thank everyone for this opportunity.’
Albright’s appointment is one of three changes in leadership among the Centre Region’s three local police departments over the past year.
State College Police Chief Tom King retired in 2016 after 23 years in the position and 35 with the department. He moved into a new role as assistant borough manager and was succeeded as chief by John Gardner, who had previously been assistant chief.
Patton Township Police Chief John Petrick stepped down to take a new position at Penn State after 15 years as top law enforcement officer in the township and 22 years with the department. A search for his replacement is under way.
