July 15, 2015
Galloway Township Police/Facebook
Donna Higbee (2nd from the left) is ceremoniously sworn in as police chief for Galloway Township on July 14.
First the first time a woman will head the police force in an Atlantic County town, 6 ABC reports.
The Galloway Township Police Department announced Thursday that Acting Chief Donna Higbee had been officially sworn in to take the "acting" label off of her title.
Higbee, a 13-year veteran of the department, worked her way up to Lieutenant before being named acting chief in June when Chief Patrick Moran retired.
A ceremonial swearing-in took place July 14 after she assumed the office a week previously.
Her father, Jon Higbee, served in the same police force for 27 years before retiring in 1999, according to 6 ABC. He is the most highly decorated officer in the department's history.
Chief Higbee takes over a force of nearly 50 officers.
