Glenn Granitz Jr., West Reading’s new police chief, was sworn in Monday afternoon during a ceremony held at borough hall. Attending the event was several members of Granitz family, Mayor Andrew Kearney, borough council members, borough staff, and members of the police department.
Before becoming the chief in West Reading, Granitz was the chief of the Allentown Police Department. He is replacing former West Reading police chief Stephen Powell, who resigned and took a position with Spring Township police as deputy chief last December.
Granitz is enthusiastic about his start in West Reading. “West Reading is a really unique borough and unique place to work. My wife and I feel very fortunate for the opportunity.”
During the ceremony, Grabitz said one of his first goals as chief is to begin building relationships with residents, focusing on different neighborhoods, and businesses on Penn Ave.
“There are two parts of being a police officer right now. One of course is always dealing with crime, and the other is dealing with quality of life issues. Here, I’d like to expand upon some of the community building, and relationship building that I’ve had some success on.”
Granitz has been hired on with an annual salary of $105,000.
