Hollidaysburg council appoints Richard F. Oldham as chief of police

Hollidaysburg Borough Council voted unanimously to appoint Sergeant Richard F. Oldham as the borough’s next chief of police and the mayor administered his oath of office.

The move was presented by the council after the borough’s search committee completed its process and recommended Oldham. Councilmember (unnamed) made the motion to hire, which was seconded and approved on a voice vote.

Richard F. Oldham, sworn in at the meeting, pledged to “discharge the duties of chief of police with fidelity,” in the oath administered by the mayor.

After the appointment, Chief Oldham delivered a brief report covering December 2025 and year-end activity. “We had over 349 calls for service” in December, Oldham said, and reported annual totals of 4,170 calls for service in 2025, 444 criminal arrests, 15 juvenile arrests, 1,041 traffic citations and 45 DUI arrests. He noted the department received recognition from AAA on Dec. 16 and encouraged council and residents to visit the display at the police office.

Why it matters: The appointment fills a leadership vacancy in the borough’s police department and signals continuity in local enforcement and community policing. Council and staff also discussed recruitment for the open officer position following Oldham’s promotion.

Council next steps: With Oldham sworn in, borough staff said a civil-service recruitment process to fill the resulting vacancy has been opened and will be evaluated by the civil service panel on Jan. 15.