Bucks County Sheriff-Elect Danny Ceisler confirmed to this news organization that he’s structured his command staff for the department and also the details of his swearing-in ceremony that will take place at the Bristol Riverside Theater next month.
Ceisler confirmed the command staff addition was subsequent to tips and reports coming out of the Bucks County law enforcement community last week.
Former Pennsylvania State Trooper Joseph Fuentes, now retired, is being brought on to be chief deputy, Ceisler said.
Fuentes is an Air Force combat Veteran who served two tours and was part of the State Police command staff out of the Belmont Barracks that served parts of Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware counties. He had more than 20 years of supervisory experience in various roles with the state police, said Ceisler.
George McClay, a former Philadelphia Police Lieutenant and who recently served as Chief of Police in Morrisville will be Ceisler’s Lieutenant citing his more than three decades plus of law enforcement experience.
“I was looking for a very specific background and skill set for this role, and Chief McClay fit the bill perfectly. I directed my transition team to perform a thorough investigation into Chief McClay’s separation from Morrisville, and I was satisfied with the findings. I have full confidence that he will serve the office and county well as a member of my command team,” Ceisler told Lower Bucks Source.
Former Morrisville Borough Chief of Police George McClay in 2019
Credit: Jeff Bohen Lower Bucks Source
As one high-ranking law enforcement official said over the weekend, no one anywhere expected former Morrisville Borough Chief of Police to join Ceisler’s team.
McClay was relieved of his Chief of Police duties while on vacation in early 2024 when Morrisville issued him a Loudermill letter – a form of disciplinary action in which public-sector employers may give notice to employees of their intent to suspend, demote, or terminate them.
McClay and the borough, after he challenged the attempt to discipline him calling it “ridiculous”, subsequently came to an agreement in which the former chief walked away with a $200,000 settlement.
Former Morrisville Officer in Charge and Corporal Bill Smith said Ceisler adding McClay to the Sheriff’s Department is an excellent choice.
Chief McClay was a fiscally responsible executive chief officer during his tenure as Chief of Police in Morrisville Borough. The Bucks County Sheriff’s Office is very fortunate to have George in a management role beginning next year, Smith said.
Ceisler, a Bristol Borough resident, will be sworn in on January 7 at the Bristol Riverside Theater.
Ceisler said it’s very important to him to incorporate Lower Bucks County into the swearing-in ceremony.
Row office positions don’t get much attention, he said. This is one way voters can learn more about those positions, Ceisler said.
The sheriff- elect has become a national figure due in large part to defeating current Sheriff Fred Harran. His attempt to implement President Donald J. Trump’s “ICE” immigration policies is what many political observers see as a key element in Ceisler’s decisive Election Day win. A Bucks County Judge, three weeks before the election affirmed Harran’s administrative right to implement the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 287(g) task force model.
Ceisler said, as part of his election campaign, he would not implement the ICE program
The two men met recently as part of a transition meeting that went well, according to a recent social media post from the sheriff elects Meta campaign page.
Mark Lomax ran for sheriff in the early 2000’s and will join the command staff in an unpaid advisory role. Lomax most recently served as a major in the state police force as well.
Ceisler said he’ll have an announcement later this week about a position being created under his administration that has the sheriff’s union support.
We should have all the details worked out by late this week. The new position is an extension of a concept that exists in the military, the sheriff-elect said.
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