Howell Police Department Celebrates 40 Years of Service

Since it was founded in 1971 the Howell Police Department has changed a lot, not only within its ranks but in the township as a whole. Going from the time when the state police patrolled the mostly rural roads to the ever expanding population has presented challenges for the officers as well as opportunities to give back. 

Chief Ronald Carter has been part of the department for all but two years of its existence, starting as a dispatcher before working his way up to the top spot. As a lifetime resident of the town, Carter said he has loved serving his hometown for all these years in the various capacities he has served in. 

The current chief credits the first person to hold the office, former chief Harvey Morrell with making the department the successful unit it is today. From the time he was hired, Morrell was the first officer and was allowed to hand pick the first officers to serve alongside him, Carter said. By the time the current chief started as a dispatcher, the town was protected by a mere 25 members of the department. "You didn't have the population that you have now," he said. "It was all farms back then." Carter estimated the population of the town at the time to be around 25 thousand, compared to more than 50 thousand currently living within the town's borders.

The former chief is also credited with helping to design the current headquarter the department uses after moving to several locations around the town beforehand. "He designed this building the way he wanted it," he said. "We moved in after he retired but he basically laid it out and here we are." The current building on Old Tavern Rd. was occupied by the department in 1990. 

After once having as many as 99 sworn officers protecting the town, the department still has 83 members. While not as many as there was were because of budget cuts and other issues, Carter said he is still proud of all the men and women who wear the uniform on a daily basis. "It's a good department, Its got good people and good police officers," he said. 

It is because of the quality of the department that the chief said he feels comfortable knowing that the town he grew up in is a safe place for the residents who will get the help they need when it is required. During Hurricane Irene, the chief said that belief was reinforced. "Everyone stepped up to the plate and went above and beyond what they had to do with no complaints whatsoever," he said. "When the job needs to get done, there's no question about it they will get the job done."

Chief Carter also said that the department would not be the successful cohesive unit that it is now if it was not for the support of the residents and the administration on a daily basis. "The township has always supported the police department," he said. "If you look around at this department and look at the equipment, it's top notch." That support was shown back in the 1980's when the department was one of the first in the country to have computers in the cars and has continued to supply the officers with the best available technology to help them with their patrols.

Although he has been in his current job for several years, Carter said he still misses being out on the road but calls the patrolman position "a young man's job." He also said that while he might have thought about being the chief when he first started, it was not the title he really aspired to. "I felt when I came in if I could ever retire as a captain I'd be happy," he said with a smile. As the department has shown, a lot can change over several decades.