Brian Mcneill's Life And Accomplishments

On November 12th 1973 the Newtown Township Police Department hired Villanova University graduate Brian McNeill. After 43 years, four months and 20 days on patrol, he retired on March 31, 2017. Brian was the longest serving police officer in the history of the Newtown Township Police Department. Upon his retirement, Brian estimated that he worked over 8,000 shifts and answered at least 75,000 calls.

Born in New York and raised in Connecticut, Brian relocated to Newtown Square upon his graduation from college. His first job after graduation was as an intern with the Radnor Township Police Department where they paid him $50 a week. Upon learning that the Newtown Township Police were hiring, he took their test, hoping to gain experience for

Patrolman McNeill was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 1983. Brian became a court certified expert in Traffic Accident Reconstruction in 1988. In his over four decades of service Sergeant McNeill has earned: six Lifesaving Awards, four Meritorious Services Awards, two Honorable Service Awards, six commendations, 86 letters of appreciation, and multiple published articles, most notably in The Temple Law Review and in Law and Order magazine.

Just recently Brian was honored by the Delaware County Fireman’s Association for saving the life of a 2-year-old Newtown Square boy who stopped breathing in December. Brian initiated rescue breathing until relieved by the paramedics. The boy just celebrated his third birthday in March. Asked what was the most exciting thing that happened in his 43-year career, Brian replied that he was the third officer to arrive at the scene of the shooting death of David Schultz by John DuPont in 1996. The ensuing 48-hour standoff was an unforgettable weekend. That incident went national almost immediately and Brian’s sister was watching television in Connecticut. She was shocked to see her brother being interviewed at the scene of the

He used that experience to help build several floats for the Larchmont neighborhood’s entries into the Marple Newtown Fourth of July Parade Large Float Division. The neighborhood consisted of the residents of: Delmont Road, Green Valley Road, Newby Drive and North Line Road. The neighbors spent many nights in Brian’s driveway; building, painting and decorating the floats. Once done, the neighborhood children then practiced their “routines” that would accompany the floats. These floats included one that had a functioning bathroom shower, one float that resembled the Emerald City from The Wizard of Oz and included a hot air balloon that was launched in front of the judge’s reviewing stand and one float that resembled Cinderella’s Magic Castle that was over 24 feet tall. That float had to be raised and lowered every time the neighborhood children, all dressed as Disney characters, stopped the float to put on their little show for the crowd. Twice the Larchmont neighbors won first prize, beating the hated Schoolhouse Lane Gang. Brian lamented that he is still hurting after his masterpiece, Cinderella’s Magic Castle, was beaten out of first place by Frank Videon’s Mount Vidmore. He also complained that it took over two years for all the green glitter from the Emerald City float to finally wash off his