MIDDLEPORT — For the first time in more than three decades, there is a new chief leading Middleport Police Department.
Roland Johnson has taken on the post following the retirement of longtime chief John Swick at the end of June. Knowing that that his predecessor’s retirement was on the horizon, Johnson said he has been preparing for the past several years to assume command.
“It was a long time coming. I knew that once (Swick) was gone, I was next in line. He had been preparing me for awhile, working side by side with him,” Johnson said.
On Monday, the village board officially appointed Johnson chief of MPD. Mayor Dan Dodge said Johnson was the best choice to succeed Swick and he sees it as a relatively “seamless” transition for the department.
“He’s good at what he does. He’s fair, he’s honest and easy to talk to. If something’s going on, he calls me and lets me know what’s going on… that’s all you can ask for,” Dodge said.
Johnson, a Somerset native, said he knew he wanted to have a career in law enforcement from a young age.
“Ever since I was a little kid, I wanted to be a police officer. Just all throughout growing up, it was always something I’ve wanted to do,” Johnson said.
Following a brief stint with Barker Police Department, Johnson was hired in Middleport by Swick in 2003, when he was 20 years old.
Swick recalled seeing some parallels to the time he was hired at MPD.
“He was young like myself,” Swick said. “Phil Bates at the time was the chief in Barker and he had hired him. He called me up and he said, ‘Chief, he’ll be a good hire… he’s older for his age, very responsible and very dependable,’ and the rest is history.”
Johnson joined MPD that December, working mostly on Friday and Saturday nights as a part-time officer. Over the next several years, he moved up the ranks, becoming a full-time officer in 2006 and being promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2012.
“He just had good common sense skills and was a good support system for me,” Swick said.
Similarly, Swick’s son Jeff, former Middleport police officer and current North Tonawanda police officer, attributed much of his father’s success in the post to Johnson.
“So many officers that have been with the department have been trained by (him) and for the past 20 years he’s been the ace up (my dad’s) sleeve. If you’ve seen his success, it’s because of Roland,” he said.
Throughout his 21-year tenure with MPD, Johnson has had his fair share of high stakes situations, including responses to a rollover accident and a fatal fire in Orleans County.
“I went inside the car and the lady was upside down being choked by her seatbelt, so I got up underneath her until EMS could come,” Johnson said. “The other one… I showed up and the house was on fire. I got the dad out of the second story window, but his son ended up passing away.”
Johnson’s efforts were recognized by The Judges and Police Executive Conference of Niagara County in 2019 and 2022 respectively.
Johnson said that while he plans to continue to move MPD forward and seek out various technological upgrades as chief, he will lead it in a fashion similar to Swick.
But at age 42, he doesn’t anticipate being Middleport’s police chief for the next 37 years.
“I’ve got some time left in me, but not that much,” Johnson joked.