Weissport Chief of Police Matthew Williams, a Hazleton native who has built up years of experience in neighboring towns, has been making an impact in Weissport.

He started in May 2019 as the borough’s only officer on duty and earned the title of chief of police less than six months after being hired.

During his short time with the borough, Williams has faced challenges of policing that some people may not expect from a small town.

In a recent interview with the Times News, Williams answered questions about the job and his personal life.

The calls that are most difficult for him to respond to are anything involving kids.

“But thankfully I haven’t had many of them,” he said.

“When I did, I had to be investigative and not let it affect me personally.”

Williams responds to phone calls, deals with nearly a dozen traffic citations and criminal arrests including domestic disturbances, drug offenses and both simple and aggravated assaults.

He works in Weissport as chief, but also is a police officer in Mahanoy Township and a school resource officer occasionally for Mahanoy Area School District. He works with students of all grade levels.

“The little kids are awesome because they have so many questions like, ‘Is that a real gun?’ The kids always want to high-five.”

He enjoys talking to the students one-on-one and steering them in the right direction.

Williams talked about his goals for Weissport.

“My vision is to keep going forward with community-oriented policing. Being approachable, interacting with people to build a rapport as someone they can trust means so much to me.”

He wants to make time to talk to the elderly. I’ve learned how important it is to just listen to what they have to say, even if it’s a minor issue they want to tell you about, just listen. They respect that. I’m also a big advocate of mental health and caring about people.

Changes for Weissport?

“I think the more I get to know the residents and the more I get to learn about the town itself, the more I see change happening already. I’d say if anything, bringing business back is something I’d like to see more of, and it’s happening.”

He said his aspirations as a police officer began at age 5 or 6.

In his spare time he enjoys history.

“I’m a huge history buff, so going to museums is something I’ve always enjoyed.”

He likes movies and spends time lifting weights.

He also enjoys cooking. His favorite is his grandma’s poppy seed chicken dish.