Derek Nececkas

Interim Director

Bio to come

Weldon A. Powell

Chief of Detectives

Weldon A. Powell, Chief of Detectives

Weldon A. Powell is the Chief of Detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice. Chief Powell joined the Division of Criminal Justice (“the Division”) in August of 1998. During his twenty-six years with the Division, Chief Powell served on the Attorney General’s Shooting Response Team and the High Risk Entry Team. Prior to assuming his role as Chief, he served as the Deputy Chief of the Specialized Crimes Bureau, where he managed 6 criminal investigative units which included: Environmental Crimes, Bias Crimes, Labor Fraud, Casino Prosecutions, Motor Vehicle Crimes, and the Atlantic City Violent Crime Task Force.

Chief Powell maintains supervision of 200 detectives assigned to all Division Offices, Bureaus, and Units who conduct investigations into criminal activity within the twenty-one counties of the State of New Jersey. Chief Powell is responsible for the oversight of officer involved shootings and death in custody investigations, as well as ensuring compliance with Attorney General Directives and Guidelines, ranging from police professional standards to bias incident investigative standards. Chief Powell actively participates in community events, providing education to the public about bias incident reporting and police community relations.

Chief Powell graduated from the Philadelphia College of Textiles & Science with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration.