bkibler@altoonamirror.com
Altoona Police Chief Janice Freehling, the first woman to head the city department, is retiring, effective March 1, the 20th anniversary of her appointment as chief.
“I selected that date some time ago,” said Freehling, 67, who joined the force 44 years ago.
“If anybody has earned her retirement, it’s her,” City Manager Ken Decker said.
Freehling was “proactive at keeping people safe” and “cared very much for her officers,” Councilman Dave Butterbaugh said.
She put those officers “in position to succeed,” Butterbaugh said. He added that she worked well with council.
“If I had any questions or needed a clarification to understand something better,” she was always willing, he said. “She was a great teacher that way.”