NEW CITY, N.Y. — The Clarkstown Town Board voted Tuesday night to appoint Capt. James S. Fay Jr. as the town’s next chief of police, with the appointment taking effect April 24, 2026.
The vote came as the board also accepted the resignation of Police Chief Jeffrey Wanamaker, who has led the department since 2021 and is retiring after 39 years of service with the Clarkstown Police Department.
Town officials said Wanamaker will be recognized later this month for what they described as a lifetime of service and commitment to Clarkstown. Additional details about that recognition have not yet been released.
Supervisor George Hoehmann said in a statement that the town appreciated Wanamaker’s years of leadership and service and was preparing for a transition to new leadership within the department.
Hoehmann also said the town board is looking ahead to working with Fay in his new role. In announcing the appointment, town officials described Fay as a longtime public servant with deep ties to both the department and the community.
Fay has served with the Clarkstown Police Department for 32 years, according to the town. Officials said his career has included assignments across major operational and administrative areas of the agency.
His background includes narcotics and organized crime investigations, including service with the Rockland County Narcotics Task Force and the department’s Anti-Crime Unit. Town officials said he was later selected to create and lead the department’s Street Crime Unit.
Fay also served in the Juvenile Aid Bureau, where he handled cases involving family court matters and crimes against children, according to the release.
During his career, he spent more than a decade as a member of the department’s Critical Incident Response Team. The town said he was also among law enforcement first responders at the World Trade Center following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Officials said Fay has supervised patrol operations, the department’s Field Training Program, and several Special Operations functions, including K-9, traffic enforcement and anti-crime units.
Beyond field operations, Fay has also held leadership roles tied to labor relations and departmental management. The town said he previously served in senior executive positions with the Clarkstown Policemen’s Benevolent Association.
He is currently the department’s operations captain, a role in which he oversees patrol, the Detective Bureau and Special Operations, according to the town.
The appointment places a veteran department insider in the chief’s office at a time of transition for Clarkstown law enforcement. Fay’s career path suggests continuity in leadership, given his long tenure and experience across patrol, investigations, special operations and administration.
Town officials also pointed to his community involvement outside the department. A lifelong local resident, Fay is a founding member of the Greater Nanuet Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and a graduate of Leadership Rockland.
The change in leadership comes after Wanamaker’s relatively brief tenure as chief, though his overall service to the department spans nearly four decades. Officials did not provide a reason for his resignation in the announcement, focusing instead on his service record and the planned recognition event later this month.
Clarkstown, one of Rockland County’s largest towns, has often emphasized public safety as a central municipal priority. The appointment of a chief with decades of local experience reflects that focus, as well as the town’s preference for promoting from within its police leadership ranks.
For residents, the transition means a new chief will take office later this month while the department continues day-to-day operations under existing leadership. Town officials did not announce any immediate changes to department policy or structure in connection with Fay’s appointment.
With the effective date set for April 24, Fay is expected to assume command after the town formally marks Wanamaker’s retirement and service. For now, the appointment closes one chapter in the department’s leadership and opens another led by a veteran officer whose career has been closely tied to Clarkstown.
