Department History

The Jim Thorpe Police Department was formed in 1954 when the towns of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk merged and changed their names to the newly incorporated town of Jim Thorpe.  When the towns formed, Edward Conley was the Police Chief.  The Police Chiefs to succeed Chief Conley were Chief Francis Bennick (1962-1976), Chief Thomas Mase (1976-1996) and Chief Barry Andrew (1996-2009).

The current Police Chief, Joseph Schatz, was appointed by Jim Thorpe Borough Council in December of 2009.

The department is a full time department that provides 24 hours of police services which consists of Patrol, Criminal Investigations, Drug Enforcement, Traffic Enforcement and Community Relations to the residents of Jim Thorpe.  The department is responsible for 14.5 square miles of patrol coverage.  The department consists of (1)one Chief of Police, (1)one Sergeant, (1)one Detective, (5)five “full time” patrol officers, (2)two “part time” patrol officers and (1)one civilian employee.

The Borough of Jim Thorpe has (2)two major Pennsylvania roadways, Rt. 209 and PA 903 running through it.  Rt. 209 intersects with the Pennsylvania Turnpike approximately 5 miles south of the borough.  PA 903 is known as the “Gateway to the Poconos”.  In a poll conducted by Budget Travel magazine, Jim Thorpe was recently awarded a top 10 spot on America’s Coolest Small Towns, circa 2009.  Jim Thorpe was voted the fourth most beautiful small town in America in the Rand McNally/USA Today Road Rally series.  Jim Thorpe is becoming a tourist destination, with many businesses catering to white water rafting, mountain biking, paintball and hiking.  Located near the down town of Jim Thorpe is the Glenn Onoko State Park.  In the park are popular hiking trails that many people from all over come to hike.  Along with these sports, Jim Thorpe is popular among railroading fans and is known for its extraordinary architecture.

The Jim Thorpe Police Department promises to provide the highest quality of Police Services to protect life and property and improve the quality of life in the Borough of Jim Thorpe.