Chief Friel is a twenty-six (26) year employee of Warrington Township. In 1996 he began his employment with Warrington, serving as Fire Inspector, Code Enforcement Officer, Deputy Fire Marshal, and Acting Fire Marshal before being sworn as a Township Police Officer in 2000. Chief Friel served as a patrol supervisor (OIC) and Field Training Officer during his second year with the department. In 2007 he was promoted to the rank of Patrol Sergeant. He then became Sergeant of Detective’s in 2010, Lieutenant in 2013, and Deputy Chief in 2015. That same year,  he was promoted to Chief of Police, as only the 4^th Chief of Police in Warrington Township history.

Throughout his career, Chief Friel received specialized training in leadership, command, supervision, field training, SWAT, counter terrorism, criminal investigations, and narcotics. He served for 10 years as a tactical operator and team leader on the Bucks County South Central Emergency Response Team, the regional SWAT team that covers Warrington Township. In 2005, Chief Friel was an original founding member and organizer of the Bucks County SWAT HAZMAT team.  His team traveled around the country for extensive specialized training through Homeland Security in Weapons of Mass Destruction and Counter Terrorism as part of this assignment.

Chief Friel is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Command Institute and the Northwestern University School of Police Staff and Command. In 2015, Chief Friel was selected to attend the 260^th Session of the prestigious FBI National Academy in Quantico Virginia, a top-level professional development course for US and International law enforcement leaders. Less than 1% of law enforcement officials ever get the opportunity to attend this academy.

Preparing for the future is an ongoing process. Growth in the Township continues at a rapid pace and the police department has addressed its challenges head-on. Chief Friel is credited with taking the department to the next level, most notably, in its relationship with the community. In 2020, with support from the Township, he successfully completed the largest capital building project in Township history when the department moved into a brand new 18,500 square foot state of the art police facility. 

In 2021, Chief Friel accomplished the goal of certifying the Warrington Township Police Department as a Pennsylvania State Accredited Law Enforcement Agency.

Developing and maintaining a positive professional reputation with the community is both a long-term goal and top priority for the police department under his administration.