It’s not every day that you see two Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduates, Fair Haven- and Rumson-raised law enforcement officers, side-by-side at a Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office swearing-in. Just today.
Continue reading Scene Around: Two RFH Grads in a Sheriff’s Office Pod
They ride roughly 300 miles for those who died. They are Fair Haven’s finest — a present police corporal and a former chief.
Continue reading Scene Around: Honoring Unity Touring Fair Haven Police of the Past & PresentShe took her own advice. She didn’t set her foot down off that curb until the time was right. She listened. She heard. She waited for her own cue to speak. And she walked, ever so gracefully, a nod of acknowledged gratitude to each person to whom she spoke along her life’s path. She had heard herself crow with pride one last time, “CROOOOOOSSSSSS!”
Strong, stop-sign hands extended, the stalwart, kind Fair Haven woman who spent nearly 20 years “speaking” to children and crossing them safely to the other side of the road has crossed over herself at the age of 90. She was Dorothy Breckenridge.
Continue reading Speaking to People: Fair Haven Icon Dorothy Breckenridge’s Final CrossingThere’s a new undersheriff in the county and it wasn’t that long ago when he was the Fair Haven police chief.
Darryl Breckenridge, a near-lifetime Fair Havenite, was sworn in by Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden as the officer who runs the law enforcement division of the Sheriff’s Office, the largest agency of its kind in the county.
Most recently, Breckenridge served as the director of the Monmouth County Police Academy. He held the position for three years following his retirement from the Fair Haven Police Department, where he served for decades.
As director of the Police Academy, Sheriff Golden said in a post that “under his leadership and the hard work of staff attained national accreditation in police training.”
With the new position, Golden said that “Breckenridge is proud to lead the largest law enforcement agency in Monmouth County and eager to maintain and enhance public safety initiatives.”
She was there watching over and crossing kids to school in Fair Haven for more than 25 years. She took her job seriously. She loved and looked after many. No one would dare take a single step into the road without her nod, loud whistle, broad outstretched arms with stop sign palms and her iconic “CROOOOOOSS!” bellow. She is Dorothy Breckenridge; and she turned 88 on Tuesday.
Continue reading Happy Birthday & Retro Look at an Iconic Crossing Guard
On the first day of National Police Week and little more than six months after his retirement as Fair Haven’s police chief, Darryl Breckenridge has been appointed director of the Monmouth County Police Academy, Sheriff Shaun Golden announced in a press release today.
“There’s no one I’d rather have lead the Monmouth County Police Academy than Darryl Breckenridge,” Golden said of the 35-year police veteran in the release. “He brings with him a wealth of experience, exceptional leadership skills and shares the vision of maintaining and enhancing training at the academy, which as a result, will continue to produce the finest members of law enforcement who will serve the public.”
Breckenridge began his career in law enforcement as a special police officer in Fair Haven in 1976. In 1977 he left the department to serve in the U.S. Army where he was assigned to the 3rd ID Military Police Division in Germany.
When he returned home from duty, he worked as an investigator at the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and after graduating from the Monmouth County Police Academy in 1985, became a patrolman for the Fair Haven Police Department.
He rose through the ranks and was assigned to the position of detective in 1997. In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and then lieutenant in 2002.
Breckenridge achieved his lifelong goal and dream of becoming police chief in 2005 and remained in that position for 10 years before retiring in 2015.
“I’m deeply honored to have been appointed to this position and I thank Sheriff Golden for allowing me this great opportunity to run the Monmouth County Police Academy,” Breckenridge said in the release. “I intend to meet every challenge with enthusiasm and will take pride in providing the most challenging and effective training possible to our police recruits and veteran officers.”
In addition to training basic police and corrections recruits throughout the state, as well as special law enforcement officers and county park rangers, the Monmouth County Police Academy offers in-service trainingcourses to veteran members of law enforcement. Officers from many of the 50 states as well as other countries have trained at the academy. The academy currently has 290 part time instructors.
Breckenridge began as director the week of May 16 and takes over the duties of Undersheriff Ted Freeman, who was the interim acting director. In addition to his vast experience in law enforcement, Breckenridge received three honorable service awards, an exceptional duty award, and in 2008, attended the National F.B.I. Academy.
— Edited press release from Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office
Photo/FHPD
The news of former Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge’s appointment as the new director of the Monmouth County Police Academy prompted thoughts of the man he says in one moment, with one gesture became his mentor and motivated him to live his dream of being a police officer in his hometown — Chief Carl Jakubecy.
In a meeting room packed beyond capacity with officials, family, friends and colleagues from near and far, Joseph McGovern was sworn in as Fair Haven’s new police chief at Monday night’s Borough Council meeting.
The swearing-in, at what Mayor Ben Lucarelli called the shortest meeting in history, came nearly seven months after the retirement of former chief, Darryl Breckenridge, who was also in attendance.
McGovern, a near 30-year veteran of the force in Fair Haven, thanked everyone for their support, especially the officers with whom he has served for decades, and said he looked forward to keeping the department top-notch.
Take a look at the photos below for a glimpse into the swearing-in — before, during and after. Click on each to enlarge.
Congratulations Chief McGovern!
— Elaine Van Develde
By Elaine Van Develde
“You can call him chief, but he won’t actually be chief until April 25 when he’s sworn in,” Fair Haven Mayor Ben Lucarelli said referring to Acting Police Chief/Captain Joseph McGovern and the borough’s official move at Monday’s Borough Council meeting to make him the next police chief.
Continue reading McGovern Named Fair Haven’s New Police Chief
By Elaine Van Develde
You can call him Lieutenant — Fair Haven Police Lt. Bob Townshend.
The lifetime Fair Havenite and longtime policeman in the borough, surrounded by colleagues, forever friends and family, was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant at Monday night’s Borough Council meeting.
Continue reading Fair Haven: Lt. Bob Townshend’s Hometown Police Promotion
You could say that Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge’s days are numbered.
That’s because the chief’s last day of work is Wednesday.
At the end of the day, the Fair Haven native is hanging up his police chief’s hat and walking out of the office he first walked into decades ago as a kindergartener in the borough and years later set up office as a cop.
While he’s been mum on in what direction post-Fair Haven police retirement take him, Breckenridge looked back in a recent interview with much love for and pride in his work and community.
So, in honor of the chief’s last day, we take a look back at some moments in his career.
Best of luck, Chief!
Effective Oct. 1, Fair Haven Police Captain Joseph McGovern will become acting chief/captain.
For information on Darryl Breckenridge’s retirement dinner in October, click here.
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