Michael Patrick Clancy, a veteran of 33 years on the Town of Newburgh Police force, was sworn in as the town’s police chief Monday night before a crowd that included more than two dozen officers dressed in their dress blues.

Michael Clancy receives his badge as chief of police from Newburgh Town Supervisor Wayne Booth Monday night at Town Hall.

Clancy, who started his career as a City of Newburgh police officer in 1974, has been serving as officer in charge of the department since July when Chief John Mahoney retired.

The new chief showed early talent, earning a detective badge in the city after three short years as a patrol officer. In 1979, after having investigated hundreds of cases in the City of Newburgh’s high drug/vice crime area, Clancy switched to the Town of Newburgh, again returning to the streets as a patrol officer.

After three years on patrol, he was reassigned to plain-clothes youth officer status where he excelled until being promoted to patrol sergeant in 1986. From there he advanced to detective sergeant in 1993 to lieutenant in charge of operations and administration from 1995 to 2006.

In June 2006, Lt. Clancy became supervisor of the Detective Unit and Identification Unit, where he remained until being named officer in charge this past July.

As officer in charge, Clancy commanded 60 full-time and 15 part-time employees and prepared the most recent Police Department budget for 2012. He continued to manage the department’s Detective Unit while overseeing the department.

Clancy earned an associate’s degree in Police Science at SUNY Orange in Middletown in 1984 and a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at SUNY New Paltz in 1993.

He has completed a number of courses to hone his skills as a police officer over the years, including the NYPD Homicide Investigation Course in 1978; the Criminal Investigation Course in Rockland County in 1982; the FBI Firearms Instructors School at Camp Smith, N.Y. in 1983; Practical Homicide Investigation Course in Orange County, N.Y., in 1983; FBI Criminal Investigation Course in 1994; the NYS Executive Development Course, Suffern, N.Y. in 1994 and executive development courses in 1996, 1996 and 2011.

He has received numerous commendations over the years, including awards for excellent police duty while an officer on both the City of Newburgh and Town of Newburgh police forces.

By ALLAN GAUL
agaul@tcnewspapers.com