Two police officers promoted in Andover Township ceremony

Andover — Achille “Gil” Taglialatela was sworn in as a sergeant on the township police force Monday, March 26, at the beginning of a township council meeting. Immediately after, Eric Danielson was sworn in as a detective on the police force. Chief Phillip A. Coleman did the honors in a room packed with family and friends of the two officers, including Eskil Danielson, father of Eric and former Police Chief in Byram Township. The township provides police, fire and emergency dispatching services to neighboring municipalities as well as patroling the municipality. Coleman said there have been a series of “smash and grab” burglaries in Andover Borough, but they have been handled by the State Police. Discussions are in the early stages about providing township policing in the borough. Coleman pointed out to the press the township surrounds the borough on three sides, but the viability of providing police protection to the borough will depend on costs. One of the shared services discussed later at the township meeting is contracting with Andover Borough to provide the municipal court on a long-term basis. The township committee is fine with a long-term contract, but is not interested in regionalizing the court until the fate of the Beazer Homes development proposal in the borough is decided. The huge development, which would triple the population in the borough, was originally proposed in the 1980s and the developer is currently attempting to persuade the borough council not to terminate the general development plan.