November 13, 2025 – Hartford, Wi – The City of Hartford, Wi, has a new police chief .
During this week’s regular meeting of the Police and Fire Commission, Captain Richard Thickens was interviewed for the position of Chief of Police.
Following the interview and subsequent discussion, the commission voted unanimously to appoint Captain Thickens as the 9th Chief of Police of the Hartford Police Department following Chief Scott MacFarlan’s retirement.
Thickens has been a part of the command staff at the Hartford PD the last 5+ years.
“He has done a tremendous job in his current role and I have every confidence that Rich will be successful in his new leadership role,” said retiring chief Scott MacFarlan.
“Captain Thickens has shown sound judgement navigating the department through many difficult investigations and critical incidents. His professionalism is evident in his interactions with our partner agencies. Captain Thickens attention to budgetary matters shows him to be a good steward of the taxpayers dollars as he continues to seek efficiencies while maintaining a high level of professional and critical services to the Hartford community. These skills and character traits are the pillars that support my belief that moving forward in his new role, Captain Thickens will maintain a continuity of operations that is so important to the overall success of our law enforcement mission to the community.”
MacFarlan’s last day is February 20, 2026.
November 7, 2025 – Hartford, Wi – An internal search is nearly complete as the Police and Fire Commission in Hartford are preparing to name their next police chief as Chief Scott MacFarlan steps into retirement. A unique fun fact, MacFarlan has spent his entire career in law enforcement with the Hartford P.D.
The quiet announcement regarding MacFarlan’s retirement occurred in August 2025, when the Police and Fire Commission went into closed session to discuss “retirement of an employee and future promotional process.”
10) Police Department – The Police & Fire Commission will move into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) for the purpose of “considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility.” The Commission will discuss the retirement of an employee and future promotional processes.
In September, the PFC Commission went into closed session to move the hiring of a new chief one step further, agreeing the position would only be posted internally.
– The Police & Fire Commission will move into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) for the purpose of “considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility.” The Police and Fire Commission to discuss the process and qualifications of a new Police Chief.
8) Return to Open Session. The Commission will reconvene into open session for discussion and possible action of the process and qualifications of a new Police Chief.
a. The Commission will direct the City of Hartford City Administrator to post Police Chief
position for internal candidates only, starting September 15-30, 2025.
MOTION by Schumacher, seconded by Lehl to direct the City Administrator to post the
Police Chief position for internal candidates only, starting September 15-30, 2025. MOTION
carried 5-0
On November 12, 2025, the Police and Fire Commission agenda reads:
9) Police Department– The PFC to go into closed session pursuant to Wis. Stats. 19.85(1)(c) for the purpose of “considering employment, promotion, compensation or performance evaluation data of any public employee over which the governmental body has jurisdiction or exercises responsibility.” The Commission to interview the applicant for Police Chief.
10) The Commission will return to open session.
11) The Commission will vote and/or discuss the following matters:
a. The applicant for the Police Chief position.
12) Adjournment
Christoph Reinke, President
Hartford Police and Fire Commission
MacFarlan started as chief in February 2020, taking over for Chief David Groves. “Scott MacFarlan has been a long-time member of our Senior Command Staff Team. I have always valued his input regarding the vision and operations of our department. I believe Scott will make an excellent Chief of Police. I wish Chief MacFarlan a long and successful career.”
The meeting November 12 begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 109 N. Main Street. The meeting is open to the public.
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
Below is the article published when MacFarlan was hired as Hartford’s Police Chief in 2020.
January 9, 2020 – Hartford, WI – It was a story posted January 8 on WashingtonCountyInsider.com as the Hartford Police and Fire Commission unanimously appointed Hartford’s current Administrative Lieutenant, Scott MacFarlan, as the new Chief of the Hartford Police Department.
MacFarlan will take over effective February 11, 2020.
Scott MacFarlan has spent the entirety of his 24-year law enforcement career at the Hartford Police Department. He began as a patrol officer before earning a promotion to the rank of Detective.
After serving three years in that role, he earned a promotion to Administrative Lieutenant, and has served in that capacity for the last 13 years.
As the Administrative Lieutenant, he oversees the department’s Investigations Bureau, Emergency Communications Center, Community Outreach Programs, is the Liaison to the Washington County District Attorney’s Office for all criminal complaints and performs a variety of technical support duties.
MacFarlan came to the Hartford Police Department with an Associate’s Degree, and later completed his Bachelor’s Degree at night through Marion University. He is currently enrolled in a Master’s Program at Marion. MacFarlan is also a graduate of the University of Wisconsin’s Certified Public Managers Course.
He brings valuable senior command officer experience with him garnered from the roles he has played in the renovation of the Hartford Police Department’s facility, multiple upgrades within HPD’s Emergency Communications Center, and a variety of community outreach efforts.
MacFarlan made it clear to the commission that he fully embraces the community-based policing model at the Hartford Police Department, and that at his core he was “COMMUNITY PROUD.” He plans to build on the many community partnerships that the Hartford Police Department has built over the years.
Chief Scott M. MacFarlan will join a select group of Hartford’s Top Cops. Since the department’s founding in 1922, the reigns of the agencies command have only been held by seven other individuals: Chief John J. Murray (1923-1944), Chief Harold J. Emmer (1945-1953), Chief Clement J. Mueller (1954-1966), Chief James W. Gregor (1967-1980), Chief David C. Henry (1980-1992), Chief Thomas O. Jones (1992-2006), and Chief David A. Groves (2006-2020).