Former Upper Dublin Police Chief Terry Thompson Dies At 75

UPPER DUBLIN, PA — A former police chief known for his down-to-earth attitude and egoless leadership style has passed away at the age of 75, officials in this eastern Montgomery County community announced Wednesday.

The Upper Dublin Police Department said retired Chief of Police Terrence "Terry" Thompson died on Tuesday with his family and friends by his side.

A cause of death was not immediately released, and no funeral information was available at the time of the publication of this story.

'Honest Cop'

"Terry Thompson was an honest cop who led Upper Dublin's police department through some pretty rough times," former Upper Dublin Township Manager Paul Leonard told Patch in a phone interview Thursday morning.

Around three decades ago, Thompson, then a police lieutenant at the department, rose to the level of chief after a vote of 'no-confidence' was taken in the former Upper Dublin chief, a past New York state trooper who Leonard said did not have the respect of rank-and-file officers.

By contrast, Thompson, Leonard said, easily related to other officers in the department and was always held in high regard by both the department and the township.

"Terry did not have the ego that some police chiefs have," Leonard said. "He was not into pomp and circumstance."

Thompson was known for his casual attitude around the office, and typically chose regular, business attire over his dress blues.

"He did not wear his dress uniform that often," Leonard said. "It was kind of the Andy Griffith approach."

Thompson was, however, an "honest cop who led the Upper Dublin Police Department through some times of adversity," Leonard said.

'Long And Distinguishing Career'

Thompson was first hired by the Upper Dublin Police Department in early 1975 and went on to have a "long and distinguishing career that spanned greater than four (4) decades," according to the department, which posted about Thompson's death on social media.

The department said that Thompson quickly rose through the ranks: from patrol officer to sergeant to lieutenant to chief, to which he was appointed in 1992.

"Chief Thompson is credited with transforming the Upper Dublin Police Department with his unique insight on the importance of community policing," the department stated in a Facebook post.

Lee Benson, the current police chief in West Whiteland Township, Chester County, worked with Thompson for more than 30 years, serving as Thompson's deputy chief before Thompson retired from duty back in 2017.

"He was a great mentor, chief and friend," Benson wrote to Patch in emailed comments. "Not only to me but to so many Upper Dublin Officers and to many of his fellow Chiefs in the County."

Benson said Thompson was a "steady, confident Chief with a vision to make UDPD the best agency in the County.

"He knew the value of establishing partnerships with other police departments and other governmental agencies to provide the best possible service to the community," Benson wrote. "More importantly, he knew the value of the police being a part of the community and not over policing the community. He was doing community policing long before it became a fad and books were written about it. He would listen to the residents' concerns and take action to make things better."

'People Person' & 'Constant Gentleman'

Benson called Thompson a "people person" who got pleasure out of seeing the officers under him succeed at their jobs.

Benson said he greatly looked up to and admired Thompson and wishes he could "only hope to be half as good as he was."

"He helped me with my own career and provided me with so many opportunities to become a better police officer and person," Benson stated. "I owe him much and his passing is a very sad thing for all of us."

Fran Wheatley, current chief in Upper Dublin, worked with Thompson for years when the two men served the community together.

They also worked closely as fellow chiefs when Wheatley left Upper Dublin to become police chief in neighboring Whitemarsh Township.

Wheatley eventually made his way back to Upper Dublin as chief, where he remains today.

"He was a constant gentleman," Wheatley told Patch by phone Thursday morning. "He was very approachable, and a very strong leader."

First Montco Department To Be Accredited

Wheatley pointed out that Upper Dublin was under Thompson's leadership at the time the department became accredited. It was the first such police agency to attain accreditation in Montgomery County.

Thompson was also heavily involved with the Montgomery County Chief of Police Association, Wheatley said.

Chief Tom Medwid, of the Lower Salford Township Police Department, called Thompson a "leader in the Montgomery County Chiefs of Police Association," and someone whose "great depth of experience/intelligence provided him with a vision resulting in him being at the forefront of projects aimed at the betterment of Montgomery County policing."

"I was always reassured when serving under his guidance," Medwid wrote.

Wheatley shared Medwid's comments about Thompson with Patch.

Wheatley said Thompson helped to usher Upper Dublin into the era of modern policing.

"He gets all the credit in bringing the Upper Dublin Police Department to where they are today," Wheatley said.

Mike Dayoc, a former Upper Dublin police detective who worked under Thompson, also sang the former chief's praises.

Dayoc said he knew Thompson for 41 years, and that Thompson was the one who performed Dayoc's background investigation when Dayoc was hired by Upper Dublin back in 1981.

'A Great Mentor'

"He always went to bat for his officers," Dayoc wrote to Patch. "He was always someone you can talk to and a great mentor for all the officers, especially the supervisors as several of them have gone on to be Chiefs themselves in other departments. He will be surely missed by all who knew him especially his family and UDPD."

The Upper Dublin Police Department said that after his retirement in February 2017, Thompson spent much of his time vacationing at the family's getaway home along the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

The department said one of Thompson's greatest professional accomplishments was the implementation of a professional standards officer within the department.

That position eventually was created with the ultimate goal of getting the agency recognized as an accredited department.