New Cherry Hill police chief is 22-year veteran of the force, and holds multiple degrees

CHERRY HILL - The township's new police chief is a 22-year veteran of the local force and holds a law degree and an MBA.

Robert Kempf, a lifetime Cherry Hill resident, was named Tuesday to succeed William 'Bud' Monaghan, who retired in September.

Kempf, formerly a lieutenant, will become acting chief effective immediately, township officials said.

He is to be appointed chief by resolution at a township council meeting in January.

Details of Kempf's new contract have not been finalized, a township representative said Wednesday.

In announcing the selection, Mayor Susan Shin Angulo praised Kempf as "a forward-thinking leader and deeply engaged member of the Cherry Hill community."

Council President David Fleisher extended thanks to Captain Larry Robb, who has served as acting chief since Monaghan's departure.

Kempf will oversee about 170 employees at the police department, which averages 120,000 calls for service per year in a township with some 75,000 residents.

The department has 134 full-time sworn officers, six special law enforcement officers, 11 dispatchers, and administrative staff and records personnel.

Kempf joined the department as a patrolman in November 1998 and became a detective in the cyber crime unit in 2011.

He has served as a sergeant and lieutenant in the patrol division, as well as a detective sergeant in the investigative division. He worked most recently in the professional standards and training department.

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Kempf, who was chosen after a months-long application and interview process, described his new post as "the honor of a lifetime."

The married father of three is a 1990 graduate of Cherry Hill West.

He holds a bachelor's degree in management from Rutgers University, a master of business administration from Rutgers University School of Business and a juris doctor degree from Rutgers University School of Law .

Kempf is also a graduate of of the FBI National Academy, and earned a graduate certificate of achievement from the University of Virginia.

Jim Walsh covers public safety, economic development and other beats for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal.

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This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Cherry Hill NJ: Robert Kempf named new police chief