Galloway Swears in Atlantic County’s First-Ever Female Police Chief

Galloway Township has chosen a woman as their new chief of police, on Wednesday swearing-in 39-year-old Donna Higbee to replace retiring chief Patrick Moran.

Higbee had been serving as the acting chief for the past month.

She graduated the Police Academy in 1999 and worked as a Class II Officer for the City of Wildwood before serving in Hamilton Township.

She joined Galloway Police Department in 2002. Higbee has served as Corporal and Sergeant, and Detective Sergeant before being promoted to Lieutenant in January 2015.

Higbee holds a Bachelors Degree from Stockton University and dual Masters Degree from Seton Hall University in Human Resources Management Education and Management Leadership.

Donna Higbee is well known in Galloway, being from the third generation of a family who established a section of the township near Smithville known as Higbeetown. Her father, John, also served as a Galloway police officer for 27 years.

Higbee becomes the first-ever female police chief in Atlantic County and joins just five other women chiefs of police state-wide. She will earn $135,000.

A ceremonial swearing-in ceremony will take place during this Tuesday's Township Council meeting.