Chief McNiff

The Chief of Police is the ranking officer of the department and has authority over all police personnel, functions, and operations. The Chief exercises all lawful powers of his office and issues such orders, directives, policies, and procedures as may be necessary to ensure the efficient and effective performance of the Department. Chief Jack McNiff began his career in law enforcement in 1996, after graduating from the New Jersey State Police Academy’s 193rd Municipal Police Class. He was employed as a police officer with the West Caldwell and Montclair Police Departments before joining Wayne PD in 2001. His experience spans many different aspects of policing, including foot patrols in high crime neighborhoods, juvenile, narcotics, and criminal investigative experience, task force operations, DARE instructor, and school resource officer.

Jack became a Detective in 2005 as the SRO for Anthony Wayne Middle School. He was promoted to Patrol Sergeant in 2010, Lieutenant in 2014, and Captain in 2017, where he headed the Internal Affairs and Patrol Divisions. He was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief in June of 2019. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Caldwell College and is a recent graduate of the FBI National Academy’s 277th Session. He is proud of the fact that he and his wife are raising their three beautiful children in the great Township of Wayne.