January 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 29
One in an occasional series
NJSACOP LEGENDS & PIONEERS
Chief Frank Monahan
Jersey City Police Department
by his fight to secure a new tour of duty more favorable to the men in the ranks and by his efforts to get legislation desired by patrolmen all over the state.” He carried that concern for the rank-and-file officer into his tenure as chief. For instance, in 1915 the Bayonne Daily Times reported that winter uniforms were issued to Jersey City officers for the first time.“ Chief Frank Monahan on his way to his office at police headquarters stopped on a street corner to wait for a car. He got the full benefit of a blustery breeze that whistled up from the Hackensack, and when he reached his office, he ordered out the winter uniforms.”
On April 3, 1907, Inspector Frank Monahan was promoted to chief of the Jersey City Police Department. His tenure was marked with achievements as well as controversy – most of which( the controversy, not the achievements) was due to conflicts with the notorious Jersey City political“ boss” Frank Hague.
As noted in the New York Times in the April 4, 1907, edition, the city’ s Police Commissioners“ appointed last night Frank Monahan Chief of Police to succeed Benjamin Murphy. Monahan was the detective who obtained the evidence on which Chief Murphy, Inspector Archibold, Capts. Cummings, Cox, and Kelly and several detectives were suspended on the charge of permitting gambling in the city.” At the time of his appointment, he had been serving with his hometown police department for 19 years.
Earlier in his career, Chief Monahan had been the organizer of the New Jersey State Patrolmen’ s Benevolent Association. He served as state PBA president for two years. The New York Herald’ s April 4, 1907, article on his promotion stated Chief Monahan had“ endeared himself to the cops
In 1912, Chief Monahan was one of the founding members of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, serving as the association’ s first vice president. Chiefs Monahan and Tenney were chosen to head the Committee on Organization and Bylaws, and they“ reported and furnished a copy of the same.” In February 1913, following the untimely death of the first president of the NJSACOP, Elizabeth Police Chief George Tenney, his colleagues elected Chief Monahan to serve as NJSACOP President. As was usual in the early years of the association, he served as president for 2 years.
In May 1915, Chief Monahan’ s clashes with party boss Hague( serving at that point as Jersey City Director of Public Safety) came to a head, leading to the chief’ s suspension on May 6 th based upon charges preferred by Hague. On May 26 th the Chief was exonerated following a hearing before the city’ s Commissioners and reinstated to his position in the department.
Hague became Jersey City mayor in 1917, and after a year of intensified pressure and clashes, Chief Monahan retired. On December 9, 1939, Chief Monahan passed away at the age of 80 in the city in which he had been born, served, and lived in his entire life.