Glenville Police Department
1821 – 1963: Founding and Early Patrols
1821 – Town of Glenville legally created and 4 Constables appointed.
1917 – NY State Police created. Troopers on horseback began occasional patrol of the Town from their headquarters in Troy.
1920 – Sheriff's Deputies began occasional patrol of the Town.
1946 – Constables renamed part-time police officers.
1950 – NY State Police opened a patrol station in the Mayfair area.
1951 – Howard E. Pitcher was appointed as the first full-time Glenville Police Officer.
1963 – NY State Police closed the Mayfair patrol station, but continued the occasional patrol of Glenville from their Saratoga station.
History of the Glenville Police Department
1967 – 1978: Moving to a Full-Time Force
1967 – A special committee recommended a full-service agency be developed through steady employment of full-time officers.
1968 – Twenty former Deputy Sheriffs were appointed as part-time officers.
1971 – Jack G. Purdy and Daniel M. Moffett were employed as the first two full-time officers from today's force.
1973 – The Town Board committed to developing more effective police services after meeting with over 1,000 residents.
1976 – William C. Przybylek was employed as the first full-time Chief of Police.
1978 – Full-time force grew to fourteen officers; part-time use was phased out, and civilian dispatchers were introduced.
1992 – 2016: Expansion and Professional Excellence
1992-1993 – Jack G. Purdy appointed Chief. The D.A.R.E. program was instituted, and Communications expanded into the County Wide E-911 system.
2000-2006 – Departmental expansion reached thirty-seven personnel. Daniel Boyle (2005) and then Michael D. Ranalli (2006) were appointed as Chief of Police.
2014-2015 – Eleven dispatchers transferred to the Schenectady County Unified Communications Center.
2016 – Stephen V. Janik was appointed Chief of Police.
2019 – Traffic Safety Division was re-established, with two officers dedicated to traffic enforcement and accident investigations. This allowed for the department to go from 22 to 24 sworn members.
2022– SRO positions were established at the Scotia-Glenville CSD and Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake CSD. This allowed for the department to go from 24 to 26 sworn members.
2023 – The department established a wellness initiative that included a peer support program. This year was also our first Trunk-or-Treat. The event was so successful, it is now an annual occurrence.
2024 – Body worn cameras, and dash cameras were instituted at the department for the first time, all purchased through grant funding.
2025 – The department received an additional $500k in grant funding that was used to continue to modernize the department and expand our capabilities. Purchases included a UTV, drone and multiple patrol vehicles.
– Bike patrol was established with the purchase of 4 bicycles and 2 electric bikes. Currently twelve members are certified, with more to come. This allowed for the department to host our first Bike Rodeo, to teach kids about bike safety.
– The department expanded the wellness initiative to include an on-site fitness facility as well as a Jiu-Jitsu membership.