Police chief always looking for ways to interact with community

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Minichini was born and raised in Belleville and still lives in the township. He will be 59 this month. He started with the department in 1986, rose through the ranks; patrolman, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, captain, deputy chief and then chief in 2016. Currently, he is also the assistant township manager.

He’s a movie buff, particularly film noir and gangster movies, is married to Tabitha and they have children in what he described as a Brady Bunch family. His office is decorated with pictures of Abraham Lincoln, Humphrey Bogart and Gen. George Patton.

Among the department initiatives designed to increase interaction with residents is Park, Walk and Talk. Officers are required to spend at least 10% of their shift outside of their patrol car, interacting with people.

“Ten, 15 years ago, you would get in trouble for getting out of your car and going into a deli to talk and grab a cup of coffee,” Minichini said. “We changed that. That’s how we get to know our business owners. You used to react to crimes but we try to be proactive, to keep things from happening.”