At Retirement, DelCampo Hailed as 'Transformative' Chief

Rick DelCampo reached the pinnacle of his career in a moment of crisis—with Cherry Hill facing a major budget deficit and the police department in need of a major overhaul, the man who had started out 30 years before dispatching officers got his shot to leave his mark on the department where he'd spent his entire career.

But it was his reputation that got him there.

Councilman John Amato remembered well the moment when DelCampo's resume came before the council when they were searching for a new chief in 2010.

“They said, 'He's a street cop,'” Amato said. “Let me tell you something, that meant a lot to us on council.”

DelCampo's passion for getting the bad guys—something that never went away, as he kept going on patrols, even helping bust an alleged burglar at Baker Lanes last year—was something that stood out to Mayor Chuck Cahn, who praised the outgoing chief's work ethic and his heart in a presentation at the end of Monday night's council meeting.

“More than anything, he's regarded as a great cop,” Cahn said, lauding DelCampo for giving all he has to Cherry Hill in almost four decades with the department.

The retiring chief started out as a dispatcher in 1978, before eventually becoming a patrol officer and rising through the ranks until he ended up in charge in 2010—and it was exactly the career he wanted.

“I always knew I wanted to be a cop,” DelCampo, his voice breaking, said in a brief speech to a crowd of current and retired officers, firefighters and members of the public. “I was just fortunate I found the career I was passionate about.”

His successor, current Capt. William “Bud” Monaghan, said that passion has shined through, but also called DelCampo a “transformational leader” who restructured the department and helped make it a better place in his three-and-a-half year tenure, and also cared deeply about the community he served.

“Rick's greatest quality, his most endearing quality, is his compassion,” Monaghan said. “It's an honor to have served with him.”

Council President David Fleisher recalled a meeting with DelCampo in the days just before his appointment to chief in 2010; when Fleisher asked him if he was prepared to take on a difficult job, DelCampo had just one word: Yes.

“There's two things you hope people have—perspiration and inspiration,” Fleisher said. “You've proven that you have both...you certainly delivered everything anyone could ask for during your tenure.”

DelCampo said he doesn't have firm plans for his retirement, beyond relaxing a bit after a longer-than-usual police career. Still, it'll be a major change for a man who said there wasn't a day of work he didn't love coming to the job.

“I will never forget what a privilege it's been to serve,” he said.