Englishtown has sworn in a new police chief – the first police chief the town has had in eight years.

Lt. Peter Cooke has been acting chief since April and was officially sworn in to the position Wednesday.

Councilwoman Lori Cooke, Lt. Cooke’s wife, stood by his side and pinned the chief's badge to his uniform.

"I think it's every police officer's dream to obtain the rank of chief of police. I've worked toward that from the beginning,” Cooke says.

Fellow officers said that this promotion was a longtime coming for Cooke. He has been basically doing the job for over eight years.

When former Chief John Nizolek retired in 2010, the Englishtown Borough Council decided not to fill the position. Cooke was promoted to lieutenant with the title of “officer in charge.”

"Chief of Police, that's the top of the food chain there,” says Cooke. “And you need to have that. It gives your department legitimacy and shows you have someone running things."

Cooke has been a member of the Englishtown police force for 18 years.