Haddonfield police chief will retire

Haddonfield Police Chief Rick Tsonis hopes to leave a legacy of community policing as he retires this month after 26 years on the force.

"I love the camaraderie of working with people and helping the kids," said Tsonis, 49. His house may be in Berlin, he said, "but I live in Haddonfield."

Tsonis' last day will be July 31, the borough announced yesterday. Capt. John Banning, a 26-year veteran, will assume the chief's duties while the borough searches for a replacement.

"Rick's career has been a distinguished one," said Commissioner Ed Borden, director of public safety. "He's been very committed to the town."

In his decade as chief, Tsonis has hired officers dedicated to personal interaction with residents, especially young people, he said.

"We have to protect the kids - from themselves sometimes," he said.

Haddonfield made national headlines two years ago when teenagers were caught drinking, defecating in a piano, and spraying urine in a house.

Those kinds of problems are cyclic, Tsonis said, and the borough is quieter now.

"We've made strides to eliminate the problem," he said. "We try to make the kids realize their bodies are more important than getting drunk or stoned."

Tsonis grew up in Mount Ephraim. He joined the Haddonfield police force in 1983 after serving in the Marine Corps police in Yuma, Ariz. He became chief in 1999.

Last year, he served as president of the Camden County police chiefs association. He has two daughters and two grandchildren.

Next month, Tsonis heads to Ghana to help his daughter teach.

"I can't wait; it's a whole new chapter," he said.