Bethencourt
MIDDLETOWN – Police Chief Ramon Bethencourt is retiring from Middletown’s top law enforcement job at the end of the month.
The announcement ends his 25-year career with the department where he
started in December 1992 as a patrolman rising through the ranks to become
Orange County’s first African-American chief of police in February
2010.
Mayor Joseph DeStefano had high praise for the chief.
“He brought a unique brand of management style to the police chief position, basically the creator of our neighborhood policing units and I think changed attitudes, not only within the department, but throughout the city,” the mayor said.
Prior to joining the Middletown department, Bethencourt was a patrolman with Ellenville Village Police for three years.
DeStefano said the city has an active promotional civil service list from which to choose a new chief. In the interim, he said Lt. John Ewanciw will likely be named acting chief.
