About HTPD
The Horsham Township Police Department was created in May 1951 when the Horsham Council deemed it necessary to provide for the safety and security of the residents of Horsham Township. The department began with one man who was appointed the Chief of Police – George W. Freas, Sr. Later that same year, a second man, Benjamin P. Samson, was appointed to serve with the Chief. At that time, the department consisted of one police cruiser that they shared.
Over the years, the police department continued to grow with the community, as did the need for more specialized services. By 1976, there were five patrol cars, three detective cars, two administrative cars, one mobile crime laboratory, and one surveillance van. All patrol cars were equipped with oxygen and lifesaving equipment.
In 1969, John L. Donovan was appointed as Horsham Township’s second Police Chief. Chief Donovan began his career as an officer with the department in 1958. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1959, Lieutenant in 1962, and Captain in 1965.
Robert H. Ruxton took over as police chief in December 1995. Chief Ruxton joined the Horsham Township Police Department as a police officer in March of 1973 and served in that capacity until he was promoted to Sergeant in October of 1981. He served as a Platoon Sergeant until June 1989, when he was promoted to Lieutenant. As a Lieutenant, he shared the responsibilities of command over the patrol, detective, and administrative divisions of the police department. In May of 1995, he was promoted to Captain, and in December of 1995 was promoted to the rank of Chief of Police.
From 1959 until 2009, the police department was located in the Township Municipal Building and occupied approximately 5,000 sq. ft. of space. The existing space's size and configuration had proven inadequate as the department had grown and the nature of police work had evolved. In 2009, a new 14,020 square-foot police station was built on the property adjacent to the Municipal Building at 1025 Horsham Road. The council was committed to providing the department with the resources that they needed to ensure the residents were well served. The new facility includes many features that were nonexistent in the old building. Those features include a secure area for prisoner and evidence processing, workstations with computer access for the patrol officers, a roll call room, interview rooms for the accused as well as the victims of crime, full-size lockers for the officers’ equipment, and a sally port with an attached garage for secure transport of prisoners.
The Horsham Township Police Department received accreditation from the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission beginning in 2003 as one of the first townships to be accredited in Pennsylvania. Since then, the Police Department has achieved Premier Agency status and reaccreditation seven consecutive times. The Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association (PCPA) introduced the Pennsylvania Law Enforcement Accreditation (PLEAC) Program in 2001. The PCPA developed 132 standards that have to be met by any law enforcement agency within the Commonwealth if the agency desires to become accredited.
William Daly was promoted to Chief of Police on January 8, 2014, at the Township Council meeting, where Chief Robert Ruxton officially retired. Daly, a U.S. Air Force veteran who started his career with the Horsham Police in 1987, rose through the ranks and was named sergeant in 1998 and lieutenant in 2004 before being appointed the department’s first Deputy Chief in 2013.
Scott Fida was promoted to Chief of Police on October 15, 2021, upon Chief Daly’s retirement. Fida started his career as a Police Officer with the department in 2001, serving in that capacity until his promotion to Sergeant in 2013. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 2018 and appointed as Deputy Chief in 2020. Fida is the fifth police chief since the department’s inception in 1951.
In its years of existence, the police department has grown from one officer answering calls using one police vehicle to a force of 41 sworn officers supported by a 6-member clerical staff. 24/7/365 days a week, come rain, sleet, snow, or shine, the Horsham Police work to ensure that our residents live in a safe environment where work and play are the major issues of the day.
