ROCKLAND POST DESK
NEW CITY – Clarkstown Police Chief Jeff Wanamaker is set to retire after nearly 40 years in law enforcement.
The Town Board scheduled a special meeting Tuesday, April 7, to vote on accepting his resignation, with both his retirement and the expected appointment of James Fay as the new chief effective April 24.
Fay, currently a captain, has been with Clarkstown Police for over 30 years and was promoted from lieutenant in 2023. Town Supervisor George Hoehmann praised the move, saying Fay will continue “the tradition of excellence in the Clarkstown Police Department.”
Wanamaker, 64, served five years as chief and comes from a family deeply rooted in law enforcement. His father, Homer Wanamaker, led the Orangetown Police from 1992 to 1997, and his grandfather, Roy Wanamaker, ran a one-person police department in Upper Nyack. The family also has a long history of volunteer firefighting in Rockland County.
Wanamaker’s 2025 salary was listed at $341,585; Fay’s as captain was $307,999, according to See Through NY.
Clarkstown, the largest police department in Rockland County, employs 162 sworn officers.