Derechailo Retires, Alan Geyer Is New Aberdeen Police Chief

ABERDEEN, NJ — Last Thursday, March 18 Deputy Chief of Police Alan Geyer was officially promoted to Aberdeen Police Chief, following the retirement of Rick Derechailo, who had led the department since January 2019.

“While we are saddened to see Chief Derechailo leave, we are very pleased to have another true professional and longtime member of the force, Deputy Chief Geyer, take the reins of our growing department, which now has 43 sworn officers,” said Aberdeen Township Manager Bryan Russell.

“To say we had the right person at the right time as Chief is an understatement. During his tenure, Chief Derechailo helped guide the town through many uneasy times," said Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini. "His shining moment as chief was the leadership he demonstrated during this COVID pandemic. We on the Council wish him good health as he enters a new chapter in his life.”

Geyer has served in numerous capacities since joining the Aberdeen Police Department as a patrol officer in 1987. In 1995, he was promoted to detective, followed by promotions to sergeant in 2000, traffic sergeant in 2002, lieutenant in 2006, captain of operations in 2013, and deputy chief in 2020. His numerous responsibilities included supervising the school resource officer program and L.E.A.D. programs for the Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District. Geyer continues to direct the SRO and L.EA.D. programs.

He holds an Associate of Applied Science degree in Criminal Justice from Thomas Edison University, and attended the FBI’s Mid Atlantic L.E.E.D.S. Supervision School. Geyer has also volunteered as a Little League Baseball coach for a number of years.

“The Council has the upmost confidence in Alan Geyer as our new Chief of Police,” said Aberdeen Deputy Mayor Joseph Martucci. “His length of service and experience in different areas of the department have prepared Chief Geyer for this new position. We look forward to working with him.”

Derechailo, meanwhile, retires after more than 36 years with the department, joining in 1985 as a patrol officer. He rose through the ranks to become a detective in 1990, a sergeant assigned to the Patrol Division in 1992, Commander of the Detective Bureau in 1995, lieutenant in 2003, and deputy chief in 2006. Derechailo’s community involvement includes serving as a member of the Cliffwood Volunteer Fire Company No.1 since 1976, serving on the Board of Fire Commissioners District 2 Cliffwood for seven years, serving as a volunteer assistant baseball coach for the Aberdeen Matawan School District from 2006 to 2018, and serving as a member of the Matawan Football Alumni Foundation since 2008. He holds a Master of Administrative Science Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University.

Be the first to know what's happening in your town and area. Sign up to get Patch emails and don't miss a minute of local and state news: https://patch.com/subscribe Contact this reporter: carly.baldwin@patch.com