From the NJSACOP Archives ... February
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | February 2025
1912 The first meeting of the NJSACOP was conducted at the Court House in Newark , NJ . Elizabeth Police Chief George Tenney was elected President , Jersey City Police Chief Frank Monahan was elected Vice President , East Orange Police Chief William O ’ Neill was elected Secretary , and New Brunswick Police Chief Michael O ’ Connell was elected Treasurer . Bylaws were adopted , and a motion made and carried authorizing the Secretary to “ purchase all needed stationary and supplies for use of the Association .” Chief Tenney addressed the membership , promising “ to do everything in his power to advance the objects of the Association and work for the betterment of Police Departments .” Washington , DC Police Chief Richard H . Sylvester , President of the National Police Chiefs Association , was the guest speaker .
Chiefs Monahan and Tenney
1933 The NJSACOP Monthly State Chiefs Meeting for February 1933 was held in Newark , NJ . Bergen County Police Chief Peter Siccardi “ called attention to a movement in Bergen County in which the Chiefs of that county were backing , whereby the county would shortly put into effect a broadcasting system and where all police stations and police cars within the county would be equipped with radios .”
Chief Siccardi
1936 South River Police Chief Charles Eberwein was shot and killed at the South River police department headquarters by an assailant that was due to be tried on a charge of selling illicit liquor .
1937 Hawthorne Police Chief Vanderwalk reported that “ Passaic County Chiefs of Police had formed an association and would be glad to co-operate with this or any other , police association .”
1938 The NJSACOP Monthly State Chiefs Meeting for February 1938 was held at the Court House in Newark , NJ . Union City Police Chief Harry Jenkins addressed the membership concerning the matter of Detective Materka :
Who was killed in the performance of his duty by a stick-up artist on January 21 st , going into the details of the man ’ s description , dress , etc . – a man 5 ’ 10 ”, between 28-35 years , wore oxford gray suit , olive skin , heavy lines on his forehead , suave and deliberate , and asked for support in the way of co-operation – stating that the bullet taken from the body of Detective Maturka was from a . 32 calibre revolver , but that the murderer had also taken Materka ’ s service gun from his holster after he had shot him – this being a . 38 calibre gun , with his name engraved on the handle , and stated that the bullet was on file at the New York City Police .
1952 The NJSACOP Monthly State Chiefs Meeting for February 1952 was held in Millburn , NJ . As the membership had approved a change to the NJSACOP Constitution adding a 4 th Vice President to the Board of Officers , it was moved , seconded , and adopted that Chief William Beck of the Collingswood Police Department be named to fill that new position .
At this point , President Irons brought up the matter of the retirement of NJ State Police Superintendent Charles Schoeffel . President Irons “ was very high in his praise for the splendid manner in which Colonel Schoeffel cooperated with the members and the very splendid work that he had done on the different committees on which he had served .
Col . Schoeffel
Colonel Schoeffel in thanking President Irons stated that anything that he had done was a real pleasure . That he appreciated the value of the worth and the friendship of the Chief and that he would still maintain his membership , attend meetings , and still work with them in any manner they thought he could be of help .
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