Veteran investigator Darnell Henry is sworn in as the new chief of the Newark Police Department at a ceremony last week at Newark Tech Essex County Vocational School. Henry had been serving as acting chief since his appointment earlier this year.
“I am thankful to Mayor Baraka for appointing me to become a part of the leadership team of the Newark Police Division,” Henry said. “I look forward to working with our many federal, state and county law enforcement partners to work to improve the quality of life for all of those who live, work and play in the City of Newark.
Henry has 22 years of service with the Newark Police Division, beginning with his graduation from the Newark Police Academy as part of its 101st Recruit Class, in 1994. He served as a patrol officer, as a detective, in the Candidate Investigation Division of Internal Affairs and in both the Robbery and Homicide sections.
His squad received multiple accolades for the arrest of the suspects responsible for the “Mount Vernon Schoolyard Killings.” As a result, in 2007, Detective Sergeant Henry was chosen to supervise the newly re-established Essex County Cold Case Unit. He and his detectives successfully closed out numerous cold case homicides and brought closure to the families.
“As a Newark native who grew up in this city, I am committed to creating a safe environment for my neighbors and fellow citizens, in which to own businesses, raise families and enjoy Newark,” he said.
In 2014, Henry was tapped to head the Newark Police Executive Protection Unit. There, he was responsible for coordinating and managing the safety and wellbeing of Newark’s Mayor, other elected officials and dignitaries.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said, “We are undertaking massive changes in the Newark Police Division in our efforts to eradicate crime, improve our quality of life and unite our residents with our law enforcement agencies. We have already put more officers on the streets, added accountability with the new Civilian Complaint Review Board, united residents with ‘Occupy the Block’ programs, and reorganized all our emergency response agencies under one roof