New Towamencin police Officer Brandon Kinest poses with the township supervisors after receiving his oath on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2024.
The Towamencin Police Department has started the year by welcoming two new officers to the ranks.
Officers Matthew Fernandez and Brandon Kinest each received their oaths and their badges during the township supervisors meeting January 24.
"I’ve been up here a lot lately, and it’s all turnover in the department, which is a good thing — it rejuvenates things, it brings in fresh blood,” said police Chief Tim Troxel.
"We have two new officers, who are replacing two officers who recently departed our ranks,” he said.
New Officer Brandon Kinest lives in Souderton, is originally from the Levittown area, and graduated from Neshaminy High School in 2016, then enlisted in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard as a Military Police Officer, during which time he served in Guantanamo Bay and as the team leader of a military police company based in Sellersville, Troxel told the board.
He then earned an associate degree in criminal justice at Bucks County Community College, from which he graduated in May 2023, then enrolled in Montgomery County Community College Municipal Police Academy last July and completed the academy in December.
Officer Matthew Fernandez lives in Yardley, graduated from Holy Ghost Prep High School in Bensalem in 2014, then graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and electronic media. Fernandez then enrolled in the Montgomery County Community College Municipal Police Academy in July 2023, graduating in December, and prior to joining the academy had worked as a personal trainer in the Newtown area.
"Both of our officers were actually in this academy class, and we had the privilege of being able to hire them before they finished, and offer them their jobs while they were still in the academy. So as soon as they got done, we got them on board,” Troxel said.
Both officers were officially sworn in by District Judge Ed Levine last week, then received their badges from family members after a ceremony before the township supervisors on Jan. 24. Both will now be assigned to field training officers, and "if you see them out and about, please give them a warm welcome to our community,” said the department in a Facebook post welcoming the two.
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