Chief Joseph Fussner was born and raised in Ventnor City. He attended Ventnor Public Schools and graduated from Atlantic City High School in 1993.  Chief Fussner earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Monmouth University. He also possesses a master’s degree in Police Administration and Public Policy from the University of Cincinnati.

Chief Fussner’s law enforcement career began in the summer of 1997 while he was attending Monmouth University. He was employed by the Ventnor City Police Department as a Class I Special Law Enforcement Officer. After graduating from Monmouth University, he was hired as a full-time police officer by Ventnor City. He received his New Jersey Police Training Commission Basic Course for Police Officer Certification at the Vineland Police Academy in 2000.

During his early years in patrol, Chief Fussner was assigned to traffic safety and received numerous certifications in motor vehicle crash investigations. He led the department in DWI arrests for most of his early career and received the Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) award five straight years for his proactive enforcement of the drunk driving laws.  In 2006, he became the department’s first drug recognition expert (DRE) after completing extensive training with the New Jersey State Police. Chief Fussner was a well-respected DRE within the law enforcement community, and his services as a DRE were utilized by numerous police agencies throughout Atlantic County.

He was a field training officer (FTO) from 2007-2012 and trained over a dozen new officers. He also served as a field training program supervisor from 2012-2018, overseeing the other field training officer within the department.

In 2012, Chief Fussner was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He served as a patrol supervisor until 2014 when he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. From 2014-2019, he served as patrol shift commander.

In 2019, Chief Fussner was promoted to the rank of Captain. He was the operations commander and was tasked with overseeing the daily operations of the entire police department under the direction of Chief Douglas Biagi. He was then promoted to Chief of Police upon Chief Biagi’s retirement at the end of 2021.

Chief Fussner is also a certified high school sports official, officiating both softball and basketball. He is a highly successful high school softball umpire, who has officiated numerous NJSIAA state championship games. He is currently the Vice-President of the Atlantic County Umpire Association.