Back in 1986, Lou Marcelli was working part-time for two police departments—East Whiteland Township and Malvern Borough, under then-Chief Jerry Stein.

His stint in the borough lasted only a year, as he went on to a full-time position, and a career, in East Whiteland. He earned the rank of sergeant in the detectives division there.

On March 6, Marcelli returned to the borough as chief. Like his predecessor, Mark Ercole, Marcelli will remain employed by East Whiteland Township, which is providing police chief services to Malvern on a contractual basis. The current contract expires in June with an option for renewal, and Marcelli said he expects to stay on as chief past June. 

He plans to make the leadership change as seamless as possible, with a continued focus on community-oriented policing.

"I don't see this as much of a change from what Mark started. He placed the department in a good direction, and we're to continue moving down that road," Marcelli said.

Asked what has changed since his days on a beat in Malvern, he cited two things: a tighter budget and a lot more people.

Marcelli introduced himself at a recent meeting of the Malvern Business and Professional Association, where Mayor Jerry McGlone said the borough would benefit from his investigative experience.

He plans to continue getting out into the community, but he also said residents and business owners are welcome to stop by the police station.

"Hopefully, they'll come in and say hi," he said.

Marcelli attended Cardinal O'Hara High School and earned an associate's degree from Delaware County Community College before graduating from the Delaware County Police Academy. He also has a stack of "too many certifications to name," he said.