ADAMS TWP — Police Chief Bill Westerman will retire Jan 15.

Westerman started in Adams as a part-time patrolman on Christmas Day in 1982. He also worked full time on the township road crew until 1987, when he was hired full time in the police department.

“There were four officers then, and Ken McAlpine was chief,” Westerman recalled.

He was promoted to assistant chief in the early 1990s, and to chief in the mid-1990s.

Westerman, who leads a police force of eight full-time and nine part-time officers, said he is proud of the work he did to help rehabilitate some of the district’s troubled youth.

“We had a couple runaways that ended up being babysitters for my own kids,” Westerman said.

The chief also said he would miss the township supervisors.

“They’re more like friends than they are bosses.