Mayor Ruthanne Fuller announced on Thursday that Police Chief George McMains will retire in a few months.

McMains has served on the Newton Police Department for 29 years. His retirement will begin on Jan. 8, 2026.

“I have had the privilege of working closely with Chief McMains for the better part of eight years,” Fuller wrote in an email to the community. “I know him well as a calm and wise professional. He is a leader who listens and respects different viewpoints. He genuinely cares about serving everyone in our community. He is principled. He is a man of deep integrity. He is humble. The Chief is both a good police officer and a good person, who has worn the badge of the Newton Police Department with honor.”

McMains—a United States Marine who served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm—joined the Newton Police Department in 1997. He was promoted to department superintendent in 2022. Last year, after then-Chief John Carmichael Jr. left, Fuller chose McMains, who was serving as acting chief, to have that job permanently.

“His willingness—and ability—to step in and lead the department with quiet strength during an uncertain time is a testament to his ability and to the respect he commands within the department,” Fuller wrote.  “Chief McMains loves community policing and cares deeply about every single person in the Newton Police Department.”

Fuller added that she and City Council President Marc Laredo would get the process started to find a new chief.