Longtime Solebury Officer Hired As New Hope’s Next Police Chief

New Hope Borough’s new police chief is familiar with the area.

Last week, New Hope Borough Council unanimously voted to hire Kevin Edwards as their new chief. He will fill the role left vacant when Chief Michael Cummings, who served the borough for 15 years, retired earlier this year.

Borough Manager Peter Gray said Edwards will make $145,000 per year.

Edwards, a sergeant in neighboring Solebury Township, is accustomed to the New Hope area and Bucks County. He graduated from Pennsbury High School and later earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Alabama. 

Edwards brings a wave of experience, serving in multiple police departments across Bucks County. He started out as a police officer for Tullytown Borough and has served with the Solebury Township Police Department for the past 30 years.

On Monday, May 6, Edwards will be sworn in by Mayor Larry Keller. He will also be at May’s council meeting.

SafeCity Solutions was used to hire Edwards. Candidates went through a multi-step hiring process. 

After determining what the council wanted to see in a candidate, the job opening was posted.

Approximately 40 candidates applied for the role and were put in a matrix by SafeCity, Keller said.

Then, 10 were chosen from the 40 candidates, who submitted a video and answered police-related questions.

The number of candidates was narrowed down to six and they were each asked several questions during one-on-one interviews.

From there, candidates gave a presentation and took a written test to narrow down the best fit.

Edwards was the best fit for police chief after this process, officials said.

Cummings played a role in the hiring process.

Council President Ken Maisel called it “an exhaustive process” and said the borough is very confident in their selection. He also said the borough is thrilled to have Edwards in the job. 

Councilwoman Michelle Becci said the borough was looking forward to introducing the new chief.

In other news, New Hope Borough hired a familiar face to be their next as-needed emergency management coordinator: former police Chief Michael Cummings.

Not many official know the borough better than Cummings. His knowledge will come into play because the emergency management coordinator plays a key role in the borough’s response to major and serious incidents.

When this position became available, Cummings expressed interest and was hired at April’s council meeting, officials said.