Morris County Chief of Investigations John Speirs Announces Retirement
Published on February 02, 2018
Morris County Chief of Investigations John Speirs has announced that he will be retiring on April 30, 2018. Chief Speirs was sworn into his position on April 1, 2013. He is retiring after five years as Chief pursuant to previously agreed upon plans. The Chief will be spending time with his family. Prosecutor Knapp has announced that simultaneously with Chief Speirs' retirement, Morris County Prosecutor's Office Deputy Chief of Investigations Stephen Wilson will be sworn in as Chief of Investigations for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office.
Chief Speirs joined the Boonton Township Police Department in August 1977 and served there for 33 years. He rose through the ranks, becoming Chief in 2004. He retired from the Department in 2010. While a member of the department, he attended Morris County College and received his criminal justice degree.
During his career, the Chief held the following professional positions and responsibilities; N.J. First Responder, Incident Command, Internal Affairs, OSHA, CERT Trainer, Crisis Negotiator, Bias Crimes Investigator, Firearms Instructor, Motor Vehicle Accident Master Traffic Analyst, Crisis Negotiation, Morris County Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner/Sexual Assault Response Team, OEM . In June of 1988, he was named as a Commissioner to the Morris County Joint Insurance Fund, which is responsible for the oversight of all insurance matters for over 42 municipalities. Chief Speirs established the Law Enforcement Incentive Program (LEIP) to provide grant funds to municipal departments interested in the accreditation process. He was assigned as the liaison between the Morris County joint Insurance Fund and the Morris county Chief's Association.
Upon commencing his service as Chief of Investigations for the Morris County Prosecutors Office, Chief Speirs not only maintained the high standard of law enforcement proficiency he had established earlier in his career, but he used his skills and talents to elevate the performance of the agency to a higher plane. To ensure that this occurred, and that he performed his position efficiently and comprehensibly from the first day on the job, he transitioned with the former Chief of Investigations for one month without pay.
After his swearing in, the Chief simultaneously moved in a variety of directions to have the investigative units of the agency operate at their optimum levels. By way of example, he immediately moved to have the investigative personnel staffed at their peak levels. This initiative was not however restricted to increasing the number of detectives and supervisors in the units. He was instrumental in the success of Prosecutor Knapp's Investigative Unit Rebuilding Project, the goal of which was to ensure that areas of concern in the various units were addressed and remediated successfully.
While the Chief was directing his attention to matters in house, he was also proactively engaging in outreach to all law enforcement Chief Executives in Morris County. He initially promoted and continued to ensure positive dialogue with all of these individuals. He was always available to assist them with any concerns they had. In this regard, he was highly respected by these leaders based upon his successful tenure as Chief of Police in Boonton Township.
The Chief's list of accomplishments in the office is too long to set forth however, some are so compelling that they must be acknowledged. He proactively ensured the safety of Office personnel by anticipating and addressing potential problems based upon his vast experience and training. He oversaw and encouraged proactive training for Investigative personnel. Just last November, when Prosecutor Knapp and the Morris County Prosecutor's Office were the hosts of the County Prosecutors' of New Jersey's annual college in Atlantic City, Chief Speirs directed the security provided to the Attorney General of New Jersey and his staff, all twenty one county Prosecutors and over seven hundred Assistant Prosecutors from all counties in New Jersey.
Regardless of the position an individual held in the in the office the Chief treated them with dignity and respect. Chief Speirs was one of those rare individuals that people hear about but seldom have the fortune of meeting or working for, who maintained discipline with fair and equitable interactions with all people he led.
Prosecutor Knapp, in summing up his thoughts on the Chief said it best when he stated, Chief John Speirs has been an incredibly important member of my Administration. His outstanding leadership has extended beyond this office throughout Morris County Law Enforcement for the last five years. I know that there will be a seamless transition with the promotion of Deputy Chief Stephen Wilson to Chief of Investigations of the Morris County Prosecutor's Office. My personal best wishes are extended to John, his wife Laura and the entire Speirs family on his retirement.
Inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to Public Information Officer Peter DiGennaro at pressinquiry@co.morris.nj.us or 973-829-8159.