February 2026 | The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine 44
Even while playing a national role as IACP president, Chief Bell was called on to serve his colleagues in New Jersey. On December 27, 1929, Englewood Chief Michael O’ Neill, President of the NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police, tragically took his own life. Chief Bell, the association’ s First Vice President, immediately was named as Acting President. He was elected President of the NJSACOP on January 9, 1930, and served in that capacity until 1932.
During the March 1931 state chiefs meeting, it was noted that Kenilworth“ Chief Vardalis is in very bad shape in hospital, he can’ t walk, also received his salary until two months ago and now stopped.” Throughout the decade, the failure to pay the salary of ill or injured chiefs would be a repeated issue brought to the floor of the state chiefs meetings. Chief Bell appointed a committee of chiefs to go and speak with the mayor of Kenilworth about Chief Vardalis’ plight. At the May meeting the committee was very pleased to report that Chief Vardalis had started to once again receive his pay.
Following the conclusion of his terms as President of both the IACP and NJSACOP, Chief Bell continued to serve his colleagues as Treasurer of both organizations. He would hold the post of NJSACOP Treasurer for the remainder of his life. During these years he was still in demand as a speaker at police chief meetings and conferences around the country. At the 1935 conference of the New England Police Chiefs Association, he again addressed the issue of the corrosive effects of political influence in policing, and the negative impacts that such influence has upon public safety. During his remarks to the New England chiefs, Chief Bell stated
I have heard a couple of speakers score the police for laxness in enforcing the motor vehicle laws and thus contributing to the ghastly death and injury tolls of highway accidents …. We police chiefs know that we could hammer down those tolls if they will take away the peanut politicians and the ticket fixers with a little influence
from in front of the bench and if the men in back of the bench will courageously do their duty in meting out just sentences to violators.
We are trying in New Jersey to obtain legislation that will make the“ fixing” of a ticket a serious misdemeanor and if we get that, someone will squirm.
In February 1936, while walking to his office at the Kearny Police headquarters, Chief Bell slipped on the icy sidewalk and fractured his hip,“ a short time after he had warned householders that action would be taken if they failed to clear their walks.” The Daily Record reported that“ Dr. Walter R. Rieck, police surgeon, limped into West Hudson Hospital to treat Chief Bell. Dr. Rieck had sprained his ankle on a skiddy walk.”
Chief Bell suffered from ill health most of the last three years of his time as chief, but, as noted by The Herald News,“ he attended to his duties regularly.” The chief was at his desk in police headquarters on March 9, 1939, when, at 8 o’ clock in the morning, he was stricken by a cerebral hemorrhage. He died 4 hours later at his home. He was 56 years old. Chief Bell left behind his wife, Minnie, a son and a daughter, and an outstanding legacy of leadership.