UPPER GWYNEDD POLICE NEWS

Upper Gwynedd swears in new police officer

Amber Welsh ‘a good fit’ for department, says commissioner

New Upper Gwynedd police Officer Amber Welsh receives her oath from district Judge Suzan Leonard during the township commissioners’ July 15, 2024 meeting.

Amber Welsh ‘a good fit’ for department, says commissioner

  • Public Safety

The newest member of the Upper Gwynedd Police Department is now on board.

“We are thrilled to publicly swear in this evening, our newest police officer, Amber Welsh,” said township commissioner Denise Hull.

In late 2022 Upper Gwynedd heard the results of an outside study examining the department’s staffing levels, and recommending new hires begin as soon as 2024 to replace officers slated to retire in the near future. In June, police Chief David Duffy told the commissioners that he and the department had identified what he called “a great candidate” through a regional testing process, and the commissioners and public met that candidate on Monday night.

Hull read a biography of the new officer as she introduced Welsh for her oath, noting the officer had earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Wells College in New York, graduated in 2018 from the Lackawanna College police academy, then worked part-time in two police departments before being hired as a fulltime police officer by Stroud Area Regional Police, where she worked from 2018 to 2021.

“An extensive background check was conducted, which revealed that Miss Welsh is highly regarded as a dedicated worker and a person of character and integrity,” Hull said.

“She is a good fit for the Upper Gwynedd community, and we are excited for the start of her career with us,” she said.

Welsh received her oath from District Judge Suzan Leonard, and a round of applause from the board and her fellow officers as she received her badge.

This article appears courtesy of a content share agreement between North Penn Now and The Reporter. To read more stories like this, visit www.thereporteronline.com.



author

Dan Sokil | The Reporter

Dan Sokil has been a staff writer for The Reporter since 2008, covering Lansdale and North Wales boroughs; Hatfield, Montgomery, Towamencin and Upper Gwynedd Townships; and North Penn School District.