Chief James Williams is a life-long Atlantic County resident who attended Pleasantville’s Decatur Avenue School and later attended and graduated from the original Pleasantville High School in 1984. He has since earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Aspen University.

Chief Williams began his law enforcement career with the Pleasantville Police Department in April 1999. He was assigned to the Community Policing Unit; patrolling on a bicycle and foot within the center-city business district area. His sole purpose in that assignment was to building relationships with the community and the local businesses owners. He also served as a member of the Atlantic County SWAT Team for several years.

Chief Williams was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Unit in April 2003 where he spent the next 10 years investigating a variety of crimes to include homicides, sexual assaults, assaults, burglaries, narcotics trafficking, as well as many others. Chief Williams was a member of a team that was created during his tenure in the CIB named the “Narcotics Enforcement Team (N.E.T.)”. The unit consisted of four Detectives whose primary focus was drugs and guns in the City of Pleasantville. As a result of many investigations, some of which in collaboration with Federal, State and County partners, they seized thousands of dollars in cash, narcotics and firearms.

Chief Williams continued to climb the ranks holding positions such as Patrol Lieutenant, Administrative Lieutenant, Administrative Captain, Deputy Chief, acting Chief of Police and then officially promoted to Chief of Police in March 2022.

Chief Williams currently serves on the executive board for the Coalition for Safe Communities and Jewish Family Service Advisory Board. In addition, he serves as the Fund Commissioner for the City of Pleasantville, and he is the Chief Operating Officer for the Pleasantville Police Foundation.