Retiring North Wales police Officer Terry Hammerstone, center, poses with fellow officers Jamie Johnstonbaugh, Lynne Custer, Pat O’Connor, and Chief Dave Erenius after being honored for nearly 27 years with the department on Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026. Photo by Dan Sokil | The Reporter.
In a formal proclamation, Mayor Neil McDevitt declared Jan. 13 as Officer Terry Hammerstone Day in the town
You’ll still see him around town, just not as often, and he’ll always be a familiar face in North Wales.
Borough officials sent off longtime police Officer Terry Hammerstone this week, with an honorary promotion and proclamation to mark the end of a nearly 27-year career with the department.
“It’s been a pleasure working here. I enjoy the town, I love policing this town, I’m invested in this town,” Hammerstone said.
In a formal proclamation declaring Jan. 13 as Officer Terry Hammerstone Day in the town, borough Mayor Neil McDevitt spelled out details of his career: Hammerstone arrived in 1999 and served in a variety of capacities including as DARE instructor, field training officer, and firearms instructor, while “providing guidance, a stern eye, and if needed, more forceful tactics.”
“We could always count on Officer Hammerstone as interim chief or officer in charge” as the department changed chiefs several times during his tenure,” the mayor recounted as he read the proclamation.
“Whereas, Officer Hammerstone served our borough with vigilance, integrity and courage. In the quiet hours of the night, he stood as a steady presence, ensuring safety, security and peace of mind for every borough resident and business owner,” McDevitt said.
McDevitt also recalled meeting Hammerstone a few years after moving to the town, when his teenage children were on the wrong end of a juvenile jest: “He came to our house and reassured my kids that they were not in trouble, somebody was playing a really rough prank on them,” the mayor said.
“You’ve always been a really steadfast presence in our community, and we appreciate that,” McDevitt said.
Then came the proclamation: in addition to designating a day in his honor, the mayor also granted a promotion, before noting that Hammerstone will stay on as a part-time officer for the near future.
“It is with great pleasure that for Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, Officer Hammerstone is made an honorary sergeant of the North Wales Borough Police Department, in honor of his service to the borough,” the mayor said. “I ask residents to celebrate the work of our dedicated public safety employees on this day, and throughout the year.”
Borough Manager Christine Hart added her own thanks, noting “the streets, in the nighttime, of North Wales Borough will not be the same.”
“It’s bittersweet, but I think everybody in this room can attest that you’ve been steadfast, honest, forthright. You’ve been a friend to this borough, and to many in it. It really says a lot about your character, and what policing is all about. We’re going to miss you,” she said.
Councilwoman Anji Fazio said she and her family moved to town the same year Hammerstone arrived, and grew to knew each other well.
“Honestly, when I think about the police, I think about Terry. He’s pretty much who I know: he comes to the doors, he’s been around on every occasion. The good, the bad, you’ve been there. I’m so glad you’re going to stay on a little bit, part-time, but you will be missed,” Fazio said.
Former Mayor Greg D’Angelo recalled a speech he heard from then-county commissioner Bruce Castor at a county police academy graduation in 2014, where the speaker said, “‘The main role of a police officer is to keep everybody safe.’ Anytime I swore in a new officer, I always reminded them of that, and Terry has been a shining example of that.”
D’Angelo then detailed several incidents where he encountered Hammerstone over the years, including a call around 2012 when an elderly woman became lost from her house and knocked at D’Angelo’s door, and Hammerstone was the first to arrive and help her.
More recently, a near neighbor died in his sleep after a medical issue, and Hammerstone was first to arrive after that call: “His widow told me how comforting Terry was in that situation. She said, it was really shocking, and Terry was just so calm.” D’Angelo added that he was also on the receiving end of the officer’s quick response time after his own medical incident in 2016, when he passed out and his wife called 911.
Borough solicitor Greg Gifford said he also met Hammerstone as the DARE officer for the attorney’s children, and knew an entire generation of local kids who grew up with the officer as an example.
“I think that’s one of the greatest impacts that you had: all the children in this borough, who all knew who Officer Hammerstone was,” Gifford said, and Hart added that the town’s newest public works employee was an alumnus of Hammerstone and his DARE course.
Hammerstone thanked the council, staff and mayor for their support throughout the years, particularly during the chief turnovers, and said he was glad to see less turnover and strong support for police in recent years.
He then added thanks to his wife Jennifer, for her support during late nights and holidays when he had to work, calling her an “unsung hero” who made his career possible. As council members took turns thanking the officer, Hart then showed a slideshow of Hammerstone over the years, with different styles of police logos accompanying the officers near-constant smile.
Police Chief Dave Erenius added that he appreciated Hammerstone’s constant support after he arrived in early 2022 and began to revise and modernize department policies and procedures.
Erenius said afterward that Hammerstone’s retirement leaves the department at five full-time officers including the chief and one part-time, and budgeted staff levels of six full- and three part-time, with new hiring underway now and expected to be finalized soon.
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