Mayor W. Reed Gusciora announced yesterday that Steve E. Wilson, a retired Lieutenant with nearly thirty years of experience with the Trenton Police Department (TPD), will start effective today, July 1, 2021, as the Interim Police Director.
“Director Wilson is a highly-decorated TPD veteran that is respected both in our community and the rank and file,” said Mayor Gusciora. “His knowledge of the city and its unique challenges, which he has dealt with throughout his extensive career with the department, gives him the necessary perspective to help us improve accountability, recruitment, and community policing.”
“This is the only job that could pull me out of retirement,” said Director Wilson. “I can’t think of a better way to repay the city for all it has given me than by using my decades of experience to help the TPD better serve our residents. For me, community policing isn’t just having a dedicated outreach unit. It’s about making sure our patrol officers are seen as trusted resources on everything from violent crime to everyday quality-of-life concerns.”
Director Wilson had been with the TPD since 1994 before retiring in April of 2020. Most recently, he served as General Assignment Commander for the Criminal Investigative Bureau, where he managed the Property Crimes Unit, the Special Victims Unit, and the TPD Youth Section, which focuses on missing youths and youth offenders. Before that he was a Commander with the Special Operations and Criminal Investigation Bureaus, where he directed TPD operations in critical hotspots throughout the City.
Throughout his career, Director Wilson instructed officers in case law, body worn camera use, and N.J. Attorney General guidelines, even serving as a Mercer County Police Academy instructor for nearly four years. He also has extensive experience coordinating joint law enforcement operations with the City’s several state and federal partners, including the FBI, DEA, and the N.J. State Police.
