Exemplary Raritan Township
Local 337 member becomes chief
Raritan Township Local 337 is proud
to announce the promotion of Chief
Al Payne. Payne becomes chief after
22 years of service with Local 337. Pri-
or to his hire in 1996, Payne served in
the U.S. Marine Corps. He is a well-
respected resident of Hunterdon
County. Local 337 members are look-
ing forward to Payne taking over as
chief, noting that this morale-boosting
promotion is what the department had
hoped for.
Wildwood Local 59 joins
Hurricane Michael relief effort
After the category-four Hurricane Mi-
chael hit the Florida panhandle, mem-
bers of Wildwood Local 59 knew they
wanted to do something to give back
to the communities in need. And when
Wildwood Local 59 Vice President Len
Larkin heard that a local gun and uni-
form shop in Rio Grande was partnering
with the Cape CARES relief effort to put
together a large donation for Florida, he
made it a priority to get Local 59 involved.
The Local put together a generous do-
nation of more than $500 to purchase
items for the U-Haul delivery that would
travel from southern New Jersey to areas
in Florida affected by the natural disaster.
Local 59 executive board members made
a trip to Walmart to stock up on diapers,
baby wipes, tarps, medical supplies, cas-
es of water and other necessities.
On Oct. 16, Local 59 members from
the Cape May, Lower Township, Middle
Township, Cape May County Sheriff’s,
Stone Harbor, Avalon, North Wildwood,
Wildwood Local 59 members (from left) Jim
McNulty, James Mathis, Michael Szemcsak, Steve
Novsak, Len Larkin and Jason Sweitzer provide
lifesaving aid to Florida residents following Hur-
ricane Michael
Wildwood Crest and Wildwood police
departments worked together to load the
U-Haul with supplies compiled from a
successful community effort.
Once the U-Haul was filled, Local 59
members provided a police escort to the
Cape May-Lewes Ferry for the start of its
Fox 29 News interviews members of Local 59
about law enforcement’s efforts to give back
journey to help families in Florida as they
recover from the hurricane’s devastation.
www.njcopsmagazine.com
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