Westwood Police Department

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DEPARTMENT HISTORY

Shortly after the official incorporation of the town as the “Mayor and Council of the Borough of Westwood on May 8, 1894, Mayor Isaac D. Bogert appointed the first two true law enforcement Officers in the newly formed Borough. Aaron Tuers and Genest Housman were officially appointed as Marshals and tasked primarily with the enforcement of a bicycle ordinance. Their compensation was $2.00 of each $5.00 fine levied against offenders. This system of compensation was certainly not perfect and sometimes required improvisation on behalf of the original Mayor and Council. On one occasion, when two men were found cycling on the sidewalks and did not have money to pay the fines, one of their bicycles was confiscated. The record does not indicated whether the Marshals or the treasury suffered the loss when the Mayor was unable to sell the bicycle for more than $8.00 to cover the two fines a few months later. In November of 1898, the Council authorized the construction of two jail cells to hold offenders of the additional ordinances that were soon introduced.

Both the population of the Borough and the geographic area of responsibility of the Marshals expanded over the next decade. By April of 1909 Westwood had been enlarged through the annexation of the “Old Hook” section for the Borough of Emerson. New ordinances had been added as Marshal succeeded Marshal and by 1917 Chief Marshal W.M. Cousins had three Marshals on his staff aiding him in his law enforcement efforts. The following year in 1918, Louis Ruckner was sworn in as Constable and appointed the first “Chief of Police of the Borough of Westwood”.

By the end of 1920, automobiles had become so popular that at least ten crashes had occurred in a few weeks time at the intersection of Washington Avenue and Broadway, (known at that time as Railroad Avenue). Congestion around the train depot was severe, and taxi drivers were cited as the offenders responsible for the majority of the crashes, which were reportedly due to driving and turning at speeds “in excess of 20 miles per hour”. Residents pressed the governing body for the appointment of a “regular Police Officer” to address the situation.

Mayor Ward appointed Arthur S. Bird as a permanent Police Officer in May of 1921 and compensated him with a salary “not to exceed $1500.00 per annum”. They additionally provided $499.00 for the purchase of a motorcycle, uniforms, and other related equipment. An octagonal Police booth was constructed at the intersection this same year with a green light on top of it that would flash to summon the on-duty Officer when the telephone inside would ring. A bell was also added outside the booth. This booth was the center of Police operations, although two jail cells and a Police desk were maintained in the basement of Borough Hall.

Officer Bird’s duties were not limited to traffic enforcement only. On one occasion he was recognized for tracking down a rabid dog that had bitten other dogs, and on another he was cited by Mayor Brickel for solving a local robbery. Records state that within four days of the robbery, the offenders were “arrested, had confessed, and were sentenced”. The stolen property was also recovered and returned to its owners.

In July of 1922, Special Traffic Officer Alvin C. Lich was appointed to assist Officer Bird in the performance of his duties. He was initially stationed in the middle of the Washington Avenue –Broadway intersection with a “Stop-and-Go” sign to regulate traffic on Saturdays and Sundays, but soon found himself appointed as a “Special Police Officer” walking a beat in the business district between the hours of 8PM and 4AM. This was done in response to complaints that the streets of the town (with a population now in excess of 2500) were “unsafe for young ladies”. Victor Butterfield replaced Officer Lich as “Special Police Officer No.1” in April of 1923, under the direction of Mayor Irving Brickel and the Borough’s first Police Commisioner, George J. McManus. By the time Lich rejoined the Department in April of 1927 after a four-year leave of absence, Special Officer No. 2 (Arthur Rudlin) and Special Officer No. 3 (William Joost) had joined Butterfield patrolling the streets in the vicinity of the Police booth. They remained close enough to see the flashing green light or hear the loud bell affixed to the outside of the booth on all three shifts. A Ford touring car used for motor patrol by the Officers was added the following year although the Officers would “commandeer” a local taxi when their vehicle was out of service for repairs.

In 1929 Mayor Louis Ruckner (the former first “Police Chief”) appointed Alvin Lich “Special Paid Acting Police Chief” until such time as a permanent Chief could be appointed. Six months later, in June of that year, an ordinance was passed officially establishing a “regular” Police Department. Chief Lich took command of the Department that included Sergeant William Joost and Patrolmen Victor Butterfield, Harry Lister, and Frank Saul, as well as Special Officer John C. Lindemann. Tour assignments were handed out at, and patrols continued to originate at the Police booth, which remained the center of police activity until it became apparent that more formal arrangements were necessary to serve the needs of a community with a growing population. A general Police Headquarters and Chief’s Office were established on the main floor of the Borough Hall located on Center Avenue in 1935. With the advent of two-way radio communications, this headquarters would serve as the radio communications facility for several surrounding municipalities in 1947 including Emerson, Hillsdale, River Vale, and Washington Township as the population grew to nearly 6,100 residents in 1948.

Chief Lich retired in 1952 and John C. Lindemann succeeded him as Chief of the eight Officer Department. By 1967, the Department had grown to 22 Officers under the command of Chief John Cafaro who served until he retired in 1986, when the Mayor and Council appointed Thomas Lagatol Chief of the Department. Borough history was made in 1989 when the first African-American Chief of Police, Robert Burroughs, assumed command of the Department. Chief Burroughs oversaw the appointment of Westwood’s first and second female Officers, and the relocation of the 28 Officer Department and civilian dispatchers to the present headquarters located on Washington Avenue. Chief Burroughs served along side Lt. Robert Saul Sr. (a second generation Westwood Officer) and was Chief of Police when Robert Saul Jr. joined the Department in 1995 as the third generation in his family to serve the borough. Robert continues to serve today as a Detective.

Chief Brad Buschow continued the forward progress of the Department from 2002 to 2004. He utilized innovative strategies like setting up and funding the Safe Schools & Neighborhoods Program to raise funds for the purchase of specialized equipment and advanced training of personnel at little or no cost to the taxpayer through the use of used clothing donation bins located at the Borough’s elementary schools. He recognized the need for a specially trained Emergency Response Team to respond and react to critical and high risk situations when there is no need for, or no time to await the arrival of County and State personnel. He expanded the use of motorcycle patrols. Perhaps most importantly, he recognized the need for, and fostered the development of Community Policing within the Borough.

Today, under the command of Chief Frank Regino, the forward progress continues. The Chief has overseen the transformation of the Emergency Response Team into a more effective and efficient Emergency Service Unit comprised of highly trained and equipped Officers who supplement and assist patrols in a variety of challenging circumstances. He has worked hand-hand with the Mayor and Council to implement innovative cost savings measures without decreasing quality of service by increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of Police operations within the Borough. The Department was one of the first in the nation to successfully integrate the use of hybrid vehicles into the patrol fleet. He has been the driving force behind the expansion of Community Policing and the empowerment of patrol officers to not merely respond to, but seek and implement solutions to problems and address quality of life issues before they become problems. He embraces the traditions of the past while he leads the Department into the future to confront the challenges of law enforcement in 21^st century America.