Fred’ s Legacy
The loss of Fred Baker has not only led to State Corrections Day but also to making the job safer for all officers
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
By 6:30 a. m. on July 30, the parking lot outside Bayside State Prison in Leesburg overflowed with State Corrections dress blue. Correctional Police Officers gathered with friends, family and elected officials, sipping coffee and swapping stories about Fred Baker.
NJ Assemblyman Bruce Land, who worked the third shift alongside Baker, recalled how Fred wanted to attend any activity going on in the prison.
Chuck Egbert, who endured his entire 25-year career at Bayside and retired in 2014, remembers holding his friend’ s head in his lap after he had been stabbed, telling him,“ Stay with us, Fred. Stay with us, Fred.”
Kelly O’ Brien Baker shared that her husband of six years liked to celebrate, and that he would have wanted each July 30 to be a celebration of his life.
State Corrections Local 105 Second Vice President Todd McConnell was a rookie in the academy on that day 21 years ago and was called back to Bayside to help police the lockdown. He was assigned to F unit, the housing unit Fred ran. McConnell said that was the day that made him become a union member after seeing how the PBA response prompted Governor Christine Todd Whitman to sign the law that now gives all Correctional Police Officers stab-proof body armor.
Every Correctional Police Officer knows of Fred Baker. They hear about him the day they enter the academy, and they compete for the“ Fred Baker Memorial Academic Award” given to a member of each class.
Every Correctional Police Officer would have been better to know Fred Baker. As Bayside Officer Ron Tomlin described of his revered colleague,“ He was firm, fair and consistent. Everything you teach in the academy.”
For sure, every Correctional Police Officer now and forever will never forget Fred Baker. His legacy has made the job safer and has
Members of Fred Baker’ s family with Department of Corrections officials at the memorial that honors Fred outside Bayside State Prison.
brought much-needed awareness to how to reach the ultimate goal every day – don’ t let the inmates keep you from getting home safe.
If they do that, then Fred’ s ultimate sacrifice will continue to be the inspiration for a day each year devoted to remembering and honoring State Corrections.
“ I think just putting on the vest every day and being able to be safe is a tribute to him,” confided Jason Baker, Fred’ s son who is a New Jersey State Trooper.“ A life had to be lost for Governor Whitman to order the vest, so my father’ s life shouldn’ t be in vain to that fact. They should put on their vests every day, and honor him every day by doing that so they are safe in their facilities.”
For so many, State Corrections Day started as Fred Baker Day. The
36 NEW JERSEY COPS ■ AUGUST 2018