Merrill

City Police Chief Joe Merrill has accepted a job as chief of police in State College and will be retiring from his current post in early January after 20 years.

Merrill, 42, applied for the position in State College because working there will allow him to return to the town where he was born and raised, where his parents still live and where his wife works, he said Tuesday morning, after the State College Borough Council approved his hiring the previous evening.

“He has been a fantastic leader,” said Altoona City Manager Christopher McGuire. “Our loss is State College’s gain.”

McGuire plans to have a permanent replacement for Merrill in time for a “handoff” following Merrill’s last day Jan. 3, although McGuire hasn’t made final decisions yet on the replacement process, which he plans to discuss with City Council — although the replacement is his decision alone, McGuire said.

Merrill’s intelligence, natural leadership abilities and capacity for strategic thinking became clear when he was a student intern in the early 2000s at the Attorney General’s office in State College, where City Councilman Dave Ellis worked at the time, said Ellis — who had a long career in law enforcement that began with the Altoona Police Department.

Merrill has demonstrated that intelligence and leadership in Altoona by his handling of adversity in connection with the arrest of Luigi Mangione — with all the media attention that brought — and his handling of the aftermath of a controversial arrest over the July 4 weekend by an Altoona officer who punched a suspect, McGuire said.

“We got beat up pretty bad in social media and the media, with lots of anti-police rhetoric,” McGuire said. “But Joe had a steady hand, stayed above the fray and did the right thing for the right reasons.”

That included not “rushing to conclusions” as he oversaw a “fair and thorough investigation” that resulted in the officer being exonerated, according to McGuire.

Merrill also demonstrated those good qualities when he took over as interim city manager for several months in early 2024, while continuing to maintain his “calm presence” for the Police Department, following the retirement of City Manager Omar Strohm, McGuire said.

“He stepped up big-time” as interim manager, “going above and beyond” — an effort that included feedback and direction that helped council execute staff restructurings with the assistance of a hired consultant, Ickes said.

And the chief demonstrated leadership in his handling of the Police Department during a period of increased drug trafficking and crime over the past year, McGuire said.

Among his accomplishments, Merrill set up and cultivated a field training program for officers and developed consistent processes to deal with all the administrative aspects of police work, Ickes said.

He put together an excellent command staff that puts the department in a good place as McGuire chooses his replacement, Ellis said.

“He was an amazing chief,” said Mayor Matt Pacifico.

Merrill doesn’t hesitate to say what he thinks when there’s a problem, but also doesn’t hold a grudge, according to Ellis.

A talented individual and excellent communicator, Merrill would do well anywhere, Ickes said.

The department has made good progress during his two decades of service, especially in terms of staffing, Merrill said.

It was in “excellent shape” when he started, following the retirement of Chief Janice Freehling, he said.

But while budgeted for 62 officers, there were times when staffing fell too low — into the lower 50s, he said, adding the new 2026 budget calls for 70 officers, with operational numbers now in the mid-60s.

Budgeted numbers are fine, but they don’t make up for empty slots, individuals in the Police Academy or those in training, Merrill said.

During his time in Altoona, there have also been improvements in technology and training practices, he said, adding repeatedly that any progress made is not to his credit alone, but also to the credit of the department employees, the city managers under whom he served, City Council and the community.

“The Altoona Police Department enjoys immense community support, and we always recognized the need to continually earn that support,” Merrill said.

“The department is in good hands moving forward,” the chief added. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to work with the men and women of the (department, who) continue to do amazing things every day.”

Mirror Staff Writer William Kibler is at 814-949-7038.