STATE COLLEGE — A familiar face is returning to Centre County law enforcement as Ferguson Township’s next police chief.
Township supervisors on Tuesday voted unanimously to appoint John Petrick as chief of the police department. He will succeed Chris Albright, who retired from the position earlier this year. Sgt. Ryan Hendrick has served as officer-in-charge since August.
Petrick previously spent 24 years with the Patton Township Police Department, including 16 as chief, before leaving in 2017 to become chief of administration for Penn State University Police and Public Safety. Most recently, he has been chief of police for Ephrata in Lancaster County, since 2020.
“I really appreciate the opportunity of joining a wonderful team. … I’m very much looking forward to a very, very bright future with the Ferguson Township Police Department,” Petrick said during a recent board of supervisors meeting.
Petrick, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science from New York University, began his law enforcement career as a New York City police officer in 1987 and later graduated from the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Academy and FBI National Academy. During his time leading the Patton Township department, the agency attained accreditation from the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission and instituted new community policing efforts.
Ferguson Township worked with search firm GovHR on a national search that included input from nearly two dozen local and regional government and law enforcement officials as well as a community survey.
Township Manager Centrice Martin said the two-month application period yielded 25 resumes from nine states, including 13 from Pennsylvania.
“We are honored to bring Chief Petrick aboard and look forward to the wealth of experience and guidance he will bring to the Ferguson Township Police Department,” Martin said in a statement.
Petrick will begin his employment on Jan. 3.
