Community Corner

Meet Paul Kenny, Lower Gwynedd's New Police Chief

New Police Chief worked hard to rise to the top, and tells his officers to treat the public like "a member of their family."

“It’s been a great month,” said Paul Kenny, smiling last Friday as he sat in the desk chair of his new office, which is, in fact, the office of the Lower Gwynedd Police Chief; a longstanding member of the township police force, Kenny worked his way through the ranks to achieve the designation of police chief and was sworn in in late May.

 A longtime resident of nearby Upper Dublin, he had befriended the police officers who lived in his neighborhood.  In 1985 Kenny was working at Prudential and did not like the idea of an office job.  That same year he joined the Lower Gwynedd police force as a police dispatcher.  “It just clicked,” he said.

He watched Lower Gwynedd grow.  He saw roads constructed and houses built in the 1980s housing boom.  He saw the police force turn from a one-room squad room to their current building that they share with the township administration. 

Find out what's happening in Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpainwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Kenny became a detective sergeant in 2002 and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in 2009.  According to Kenny, about ten years ago their then-Police-Chief Ken Bright retired and Kenny was passed over for the position. 

Kenny realized that it was now a serious goal for him: “That’s when I knew that I wanted this job, and when I didn’t get it, that’s when I wanted it even more,” said Kenny.

Find out what's happening in Lower Gwynedd-Ambler-Whitpainwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Though his younger self wanted nothing to do with school, he decided to obtain his bachelor’s degree and more to make himself a fierce candidate.  Kenny and his fellow Lower Gwynedd officer Mike Gargan spent the next seven or so years going to school full-time and part-time at Gwynedd-Mercy College.  They finished, Kenny with a degree in criminal justice.

Kenny also attended the Northwestern University Police Staff and Command School in 2008 and the FBI National Academy in 2009, both of which are said to be valuable institutions in the law enforcement field. 

A few years later, on May 28, 2013, Kenny stood surrounded by his wife Joanne and three children Shelby, Tyler, and Jillian as District Judge Patricia Zaffarano swore him in to be the new police chief of Lower Gwynedd.  A standing ovation followed.   

According to Kenny, when he found out that he was to be the new chief he felt a jumble of relief, happiness, and excitement.  Regarding the official event: “That day I was on cloud nine,” he said.    

Township Manager Larry Comunale has worked with Kenny for the 16 years that Comunale has held his manager position.  He also considers him a friend.  He said that he was there when Kenny was passed over for the chief position.  “He was disappointed but that disappointment was not something that he internalized, but he made up his mind to meet certain goals, including getting his college degree, joining the FBI academy,” said Comunale.  

According to Comunale Kenny did all that they asked him to do regarding his education in order for him to become chief.  Comunale said that he was pleased by the results: “It’s always great when good things happen to good people, and Paul is a good person.”   

Lower Gwynedd Police Detective Glenn Fowler, hired by the department in 1999, has worked under Kenny for a number of years.  According to Fowler, Kenny has been fair, reasonable, and generous: “I think that for me personally, he’s been extremely encouraging to me and helpful.  I took over his detective position when he got promoted and he has been extremely helpful in guiding me and helping me learn.” 

Kenny, newly a police chief, is in the process of envisioning the future for his department.  He spoke about how his police force truly wants to help people.  “With the guys I expect our officers to treat the public like they were treating a member of their family, whether they are there for a good reason or a bad reason, and help them like they were helping a member of their family,” he stressed.

According to Kenny, the people of Lower Gwynedd like the police.  They wave to them and talk to them, and want the police officers to have a nice day just like the officers want their public to have a nice day.

Aside from Kenny’s working relationship with the public, he and his family are also involved with locals through his December business Kenny’s Christmas Trees in the Spring House Village Shopping Center in Spring House.  The Kennys first started selling trees in 1988.  This year will be their 25th year.

When he is not working, Kenny enjoys going to Ocean City, New Jersey and Pennsylvania’s mountainous Potter county with his family.  He avoids the sun at the shore but enjoys the hustle and bustle of it.  At the mountains, according to Kenny: “I just enjoy the creek and woods, and skeet shooting, target practice.  My kids are much better at it than I am.  I run the machine.”

In fact Kenny and his family recently returned from Ocean City, and now he is settling in to work.  According to Fowler, Kenny has been a police officer for 20-plus years in Lower Gwynedd and now this is his time to shine: “I know that he’s thrilled to death and we’re thrilled to have him as our boss, and it’s going to be a great future.”

 

 

 

 

  


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here