For Chief Robert Del Muro, policing Port Washington has never been just a job — it’s a lifetime commitment to the community where he was born, raised and still calls home.
When Del Muro first pinned on a Port Washington Police Department badge in 1981, he never imagined he would one day lead the very force he grew up admiring. Forty-three years later, he says he still feels lucky every time he walks into the station.
“I always wanted to be a police officer since I was 15 years old,” Del Muro said. “I didn’t come from a family of cops. My relatives were volunteer firemen. But something about the work called to me.”
Del Muro’s path to the top of the department reflects both endurance and adaptability.
Before joining the force, he volunteered with the Port Washington Fire Department, where he became a lieutenant.
In April 1981, after passing the Nassau County police exam, he joined the Port Washington force as a patrol officer. His first night on duty came just hours after graduating from the academy.
“You went from being supervised to being out there on your own. That first call was an alarm, and even though another officer backed me up, it hit me that this was real now. Nobody was watching over my shoulder anymore,” said Del Muro.
Del Muro spent 13 years on patrol before transferring to the detective division in 1994.
For 16 years, he investigated crimes ranging from burglaries to homicides and worked closely with schools on juvenile cases.
He also spearheaded a major investigation into the terrorist group MS-13 in the 1990s, which led to nine arrests and became one of the largest anti-gang operations in Nassau County at the time.
By 2010, then-Chief James Kilfoyle and other leaders urged him to take the sergeant’s exam.
Promotions came quickly after that. Sergeant in 2010, lieutenant in 2012, deputy chief in 2014. In January 2019, he was sworn in as chief of the department.
“It all moved very fast at the end,” Del Muro said. “But by then I had more than three decades of experience to draw on.”
As chief, Del Muro has focused on officer safety, training, and community presence.
He established daily school visits long before they became a standard response to rising concerns about active shooters. He also oversaw the department’s transition from carrying shotguns to rifles, expanded taser use, and emphasized pairing officers on calls to reduce risks.
“Training and safety are the most important things to me,” he said. “I don’t want to see any cop get hurt. Across the country, too many do.”
His tenure has also coincided with challenges beyond policing.
Just a year into his leadership, the COVID-19 pandemic forced Del Muro to overhaul scheduling to limit exposure among officers. By reorganizing patrol units into strict work groups, the department avoided costly overtime and limited infections to just two cases.
“We were lucky,” he said. “Other departments were scrambling. We already had good stockpiles of gloves and masks, and the schedule changes really protected our people.”
Del Muro also guided the force through protests in 2020. While marches elsewhere turned contentious, Port Washington avoided major confrontations. The chief himself joined demonstrators on one march.
“They were chanting against police, but at the same time, they were thanking us for protecting them,” he said. “It was one of the strangest experiences of my career.”
Perhaps his most ambitious project as chief is shepherding construction of a new police headquarters.
For decades, attempts to replace the aging facility stalled. Del Muro helped secure the purchase of a former funeral home property, where the new building is expected to rise in the coming years.
“People say the building will be my legacy,” he said. “But really I hope it’s remembered that I always worked hard at my job. Whether as a patrol officer, detective, or chief, I never coasted.”
Outside the badge, Del Muro is a father of six and grandfather of eight.
A lifelong Port Washington resident, he still attends community events, from HarborFest to the annual turkey trot. He credits that visibility with building trust between police and residents.
“The community sees us, they know us,” he said. “When you get to a call in under two minutes, when people see you at their events, it makes a difference.”
After more than four decades, Del Muro says he has no regrets about the career he dreamed of as a teenager.
“I was lucky enough to want to do something, to get the job, and then to actually like doing it,” he said. “Not everybody gets that. That’s why I’m still here.”
