Mount Laurel Chief of Police Joseph Lehmann, Jr. announces the promotions of three officers.

Lt. Christopher Ridings was promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief.  Deputy Chief Ridings will serve as second in command of the Mount Laurel Police Department.  Ridings joined the department in September of 1983 when he was assigned as an officer in the Patrol Bureau.  He was assigned the position of Lead Officer within the Patrol Bureau in October of 1986.  He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in March of 1990 and served as a Patrol Sergeant.  In October of 1995 Ridings was assigned as Detective Sergeant where he oversaw the Detective Bureau.  In June of 2000 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and was assigned as Operations Division Commander until the present.  During his career Deputy Chief Ridings has served as a Field Training Officer, Hostage Negotiator. As a Hostage Negotiator he served as the Assistant Team Leader for the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office Hostage Negotiation Team.  He attended West Point Leadership and Command School and the Certified Public manager Program.

Sgt. Dennis Cribben was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.  He has been assigned as commander of the Operations Division of the Mount Laurel Police Department.  Cribben joined the department in October of 1992 when he was assigned as an officer in the Patrol Bureau.  He was assigned to the position of Lead Officer within the Patrol Bureau in November of 2000.  He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in December of 2002 and served as a Patrol Sergeant until the present.  Lieutenant Cribben also previously served as Tactical Team Leader, Field Training Officer, Firearms Instructor, and Police EMT.  Cribben served for 22 years in the United States Army Reserve and retired as a Command Sergeant Major. He is also a veteran of the Iraq War.

Lead Officer Stephen Riedener was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.  He has been assigned as a Patrol Sergeant within the Patrol Bureau of the Operations division of the Mount Laurel Police Department.  Riedener joined the department in January of 1997.  He was assigned as Lead Officer in December of 2003 and has served in that position in the Patrol Bureau to the present. Sergeant Riedener also serves as Tactical Team Leader.  He also served as a Police EMT and Bicycle Patrol Officer.   

Deputy Chief Ridings, Lieutenant Cribben, and Sergeant Riedener were sworn into their new positions during the Township Council meeting on April 21, 2008 in the presence of their families, members of the police department, and the public. 

Township Mayor John Drinkard had the following to say:  "Mount Laurel is very proud of its Police Department.  These promotions will greater strengthen our Department by putting the right people in the right jobs and will assist the Department in keeping Mount Laurel a community where our residents are safe.  We were able to make these promotions without an impact to our municipal budget".