At this month’s Bristol Township Council meeting 36 year police veteran Lieutenant Ralph Johnson was promoted to Deputy Chief of Police.

Johnson in for at least the last six years has acted as the departments Public Information Officer often drawing up and sending our press releases and responding to media requests from print, radio and television stations.

Johnson was hired in February 1986 graduating from the Philadelphia Police Academy working patrol until  June of 2000 serving with his K-9 partner “Ice”. Johnson also worked on Narcotics investigations for 12 years, while serving in that capacity he was promoted to Sargeant in 2007 and detached for several years working with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) on high profile investigations, returning back to Bristol Twp Police serving as Patrol Sargeant from February 2012 to December 2014, and was appointed “acting” Chief of Police in 2014 serving in that leadership role for a little more than six months and subsequently promoted to Lieutenant in June of 2016.

Over the last few years Johnson has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the department, officials said.

With the recent promotions of Sean Cosgrove and CJ Winik to Lieutenant  will now divide those responsibilities between them, with Johnson “training and mentoring” the new Lt’s, Chief of Police, Robert Coulton said.

“I arrived here 7 1/2 years ago with the task of making changes within the agency; to make refinements and improve the departments overall level of professionalism. These refinements take the will, time, effort and resources to match. With my arrival as an agency outsider. Knowing no one within the department the odds for success were slim without buy in of key personnel. Ralph Johnson was one of those and has assisted me throughout my tenure” said Coulton.

“He has never wavered with the task at hand large or small.”

Johnson was sworn in by the Honorable Kevin P. Wagner then stood for pictures with family and fellow officials but did not offer any comments on his promotion.

Law enforcement officials from other organizations to show support for his promotion were in attendance.