PARSIPPANY — After serving the Township of Parsippany-Troy Hills for over 38 years, Chief of Police Paul Philipps, retired on March 1, 2018.
According to public records, Philipps was earning annual salary of $196,805 prior to his retirement.
He will receive $418,517.14 in unused sick and vacation time, as well as another $10,861.97 for unused “comp” time, for a total of $429,379.11.
Philipps was named acting chief on March 1, 2013 after the retirement of Anthony DeZenzo, and was officially sworn-in as Chief by Former Mayor James Barberio on March 31, 2013. DeZenzo finished his PPD career with a payout of $379,082.31. DeZenzo also receives an annual pension of $131,951.76. As of this date, Philipps annual pension hasn’t been released by New Jersey Pension system.
He began his career in October of 1979, as a member of the 12th Police Academy Class at the Morris County Police Academy. Over the past 37 years he steadily progressed through each of the ranks and cycled through every division. He is a graduate of the West Point Leadership and Command Program, has received training in Leadership and Anti-Terrorism from the United Kingdom’s Police Staff College, and received his Master’s Degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He assisted during the recovery and cleanup of both 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Within the first three years of his career, while investigating a minor motor vehicle crash, he was struck by a pickup truck, which was driven by a drunk driver. He was hospitalized for over a week due the injuries he sustained. Two other notable events that occurred during his career occurred after a man he revived through CPR met him a year later on the anniversary of the event and thanked him for his lifesaving actions. The second notable event was when he prevented someone from harming himself while also preventing the man from harming the other officers on scene. Months later, that man apologized for his actions and thanked him for preventing him from injuring himself.
Chief Philipps has received a multitude of training over his career and participated in many community-based organizations. He has partaken in the following organizations and/or held notable positions in them, such as Director of Parsippany OEM, Company Commander of the Morris County Rapid Deployment Force, Dive Coordinator and Rescue Diver with Parsippany Rescue and Recovery, past President of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Parsippany and also served on their Board of Directors. He has also been an active participant since 2007 with the Police Unity Tour, which is a bicycle ride from Northern New Jersey to Washington, D.C. to honor and raise money for fallen police officers.
Throughout his 38 years of service he has earned numerous awards which include a Meritorious Service Medal when he prevented a suspect from stabbing a fellow officer, a Unit Commendation, 3 Command Citations, and an Exceptional Duty Award. He has also received multiple awards for his work with the community and as a police officer such as being named the Kiwanis Club Kiwanian of the Year, Rotary Club Outstanding Officer of the Year, and he received the Lakeland Hills YMCA Community Service Award.
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