All of the latest police and fire news in Fair Haven can be found here.
There will be a DWI checkpoint in Fair Haven Friday night through Saturday morning.
The check point, sponsored by the Monmouth County DWI Task Force in cooperation with the Fair Haven Police Department, will be set up in the Acme parking lot on River Road from 10 p.m. Friday through 2 a.m. Saturday.
Fair Haven police will be pulling vehicles into the parking lot from the eastbound lanes of River Road to assess drivers’ sobriety, according to task force authorities.
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
A young Fair Haven volunteer firefighter was arrested on Saturday and could face up to 10 years in prison on a charge in connection with a Friday arson in the borough in which he serves after also responding as a firefighter to extinguish the blaze, Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni announced in a released statement.
Nicholas Joyce, 19, of Fair Haven, also a former boy scout in the borough, was arrested on one count of second-degree aggravated arson after he allegedly set fire to a storage shed on Friday afternoon on the property of the United Methodist Church at 300 Ridge Road, the release said.
The Fair Haven Fire Department, Joyce included, responded on Friday, April 1, at 4:28 p.m., to a report of a fire in the back of the church property at a storage shed belonging to a local scout troop, the release added. Responding firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, which was contained to the exterior of the shed.
A joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and Fair Haven Police Department resulted in Joyce’s arrest the next day, Saturday. The investigation revealed that Joyce had allegedly set fire to the shed, returned to the fire house and then responded to the scene with other firefighters when the fire was reported, according to the Prosecutor.
Joyce was released from custody after posting $5,000 bail with a 10 percent option, set by Municipal Court Judge James Berube.
If convicted of Aggravated Arson, Joyce faces up to ten years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the No Early Release Act (N.E.R.A.), requiring that he serve 85 percent of the sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
The case has been assigned to Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Decker.
A young Fair Haven man has been arrested on charges stemming from a graffiti vandalism spree in the area.
Joseph D. Horner, 21, was arrested on Jan. 15 and charged with six counts of criminal mischief after an investigation by Fair Haven Police Detective Stephen Schneider
The incidents, according to police, spanned from Jan. 3 to 15 when police got reports of vandalism to six locations in the borough, police said.
Places vandalized were: Two Rivers Water Reclamation Authority (TRWRA), Raven and the Peach restaurant on River Road, a Red Bank Recycling dumpster on Church Street, a Verizon box on Fair Haven Road, Fair Haven Borough Hall and a TRWRA substation on Fair Haven Road.
Red Bank recycling dumpster on Church St., TRWRA substation on Fair Haven Rd, Verizon box on Fair Haven Rd.
Horner was issued a summons pending a Fair Haven Municipal Court appearance.
The following January arrests and criminal incidents were reported by Fair Haven police. An arrest does not constitute a conviction.
New Year’s Day was all about tradition, community camaraderie, fun and old friends connecting at Fair Haven Fire Department’s reorganization and open house.
With line officers for 2016 first taking their oaths at noon at the firehouse, a festive time of socializing was had by all for the rest of the day.
The 2016 line officers are:
Fire Company …
• Chief Michael Wiehl;
• Deputy Chief Timothy Morrissey;
• First Assistant Chief Matthew DePonti;
• Second Assistant Chief Christopher Shrank.
First Aid …
• Captain Kim Ambrose;
• 1st Lieutenant Amanda Lynn;
• 2nd Lieutenant Katy Frissora.
Fire Police …
• Captain Frank Scalzo;
• 1st Lieutenant Daniel Chernavsky;
• 2nd Lieutenant Douglas Anderson.
Auxiliary …
• President Amanda Lynn
Water Rescue/Dive Team …
John Felsmann, James Cerruti, Robert Frank, William Heath
Happy New Year! Congratulations to the new officers! And thanks to the Fair Haven Fire Department for the photos of the line officers taken before Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect arrived!
— Elaine Van Develde
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
The following arrests and criminal incident reports were reported by Fair Haven police for the month of October. An arrest does not constitute a conviction.
Arrests
• Leobardo Martinez, 25, of Somerset, was arrested on Oct. 25 and charged with possession of marijuana by Patrolman Brooks Robinson following a motor vehicle stop.
Martinez was released pending a Fair Haven Municipal Court appearance.
• Melissa Neczesny, 53, of Fair Haven, was charged with simple assault and disorderly conduct on Oct. 16 after being involved in a physical altercation with another female outside of a local establishment. Patrolman Dwayne Reevey was the arresting officer.
She was processed and released pending a court appearance.
Continue reading Fair Haven Police Report Car Theft, Assault, DWI, Marijuana Possession
By Elaine Van Develde
He lived his dream.
And for now former Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge, retirement doesn’t mean he’s awakening to any harsh reality — just vivid gratitude.
While he’s been officially off the job since Oct. 1, the chief’s surreal 38-year career culminated in a lucid award-strewn farewell retirement dinner last Thursday.
Roughly 200 state, county and local dignitaries, police and chiefs from several nearby towns, family and friends gathered at Raven and the Peach in Breckenridge’s hometown Fair Haven to celebrate his accomplishments, honor him with certificates and awards — even the key to Fair Haven — party with him and just plain thank him for his service.
“I just love this man!” a teary eyed Eileen O’Neill, widow of former Chief Bobby O’Neill said as she hugged and held the face of the man she knew as the kid her husband took on ride-alongs and mentored .
There were other mentors, too … former chiefs Ricky Towler, Lou DeVito. Then there was, of course, the chief who started it all for a 5-year-old Breckenridge when he stopped at his house to offer his mom a job as a crossing guard — Carl Jakubecy.
Then there was his mom, Dorothy — the woman Breckenridge credits with giving him the “character” to succeed and realize his dream.
“To have a dream at five years old and to actually see that dream come to fruition … Just being a patrolman and being fortunate enough to rise through the ranks of chief of police in the town where I wanted to do so is truly amazing … It’s more amazing when you go back and look at at our country in the 1960s … there was so much turmoil in the world, so much unrest within our country, there were riots on the street and hatred … there was so much uncertainty …”
Breckenridge’s children, Tyler, D.J. and Whitney, stood before their dad, certain of his success and their pride in him. “There aren’t enough words to describe how proud we are of our dad,” Whitney said.
The sentiment was echoed by D.J., who is now Fair Haven’s Recreation director.
He talked about the respect and pride his father, passing down that “character” his grandmother taught, was grateful, not only for the success, but also for the community in which he was raised. That community, Fair Haven, has always been family to him as well, D.J., a little choked up, said.
“I know that it’s very important for him to have all these Fair Haven residents here in addition to everyone else,” he said. “Because Fair Haven, for my dad, was always family and it always will be …”
Yes. Protecting and serving his hometown family was Darryl Breckenridge’s dream. He’s still living it in its second act. Although now, as he told the crowd, “I can let my hair down … Well, I can let down what hair I have.
“For me to have a dream of that magnitude and to be able to realize it … It’s really amazing. It happened because we are in this country. We have the best country in the world. God bless America. God bless you all.”
Congrats, Darryl, from your Fair Haven family!
Don’t forget to click on the lower right icon of the slideshow to enlarge. We had a few photo tech issues. So, in addition to the somewhat compromised quality of some of the photos, we also apologize for the fact that somehow the entire police department ended up looking like something out of a Halloween movie — all white eyes. Who knew? Officers of the Corn? Sorry!
By Elaine Van Develde
“Because he’s one of our own, it’s even more special.”
That’s what Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge told a packed audience at Borough Hall Monday night about Fair Haven native Brooks Robinson just before he was sworn in as a patrolman in the borough’s Police Department.
A 2006 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduate, Robinson was brought into the department in 2012 as a Special Law Enforcement Officer Class I and more recently was promoted to a Class II.
He studied at Brookdale Community College and received his bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University.
But, for the chief, the honor in promoting Robinson was more a Fair Haven family affair.
Welcoming the Fair Haven Robinson family and the family, and extended family of his wife, Alyssa Pecyno Robinson, also a 2006 RFH graduate, he talked a little bit about why.
“To me, it’s a great honor to be able bring someone aboard on a full-time basis here in Fair Haven who actually went through the school system here, went to the high school and is a part of the town,” he said. “Brooks is going to be a tremendous asset to the department.”
Bringing out the bible, that he noted has been in the Fair Haven family for many years and was donated to the borough by Hap Williams for swearing-ins, Mayor Lucarelli administered the oath to Robinson, Alyssa holding the bible.
” … And that I will faithfully, impartially and justly perform the duties of patrolman according to the best of my ability, so help me God … Congratulations.”
Applause.
Congratulations, Patrolman Brooks Robinson!
By Elaine Van Develde
The smile is the same. The stripes on the uniform are different.
On the heels of Fair Haven Police Chief Darryl Breckenridge’s announcement of retirement, longtime Fair Haven police officer Joseph McGovern was promoted from lieutenant to captain at Monday night’s Borough Council meeting.
The promotion is a significant one in light of the fact that while the police department’s staffing model hierarchy allows for a captain in the department the position has not been filled since retired Captain Paul McCue was on the force several years ago.
Caught readying himself to get to the meeting outside the police station, McGovern gave Rumson-Fair Haven Retrospect his signature smile and a wave, for which he is known throughout town, as he gussied himself up, hopped in his SUV and headed a couple blocks over.
He was met with a packed meeting room full of beaming, congratulatory officials, neighboring police and chiefs, family and friends.
Welcoming all, Chief Breckenridge pointed out that “when you rise to the level of captain, it shows when you see the network of support from (police in) surrounding towns …” Among those in that support network were Rumson Police Chief Scott Paterson and Red Bank Police Chief Darren McConnell, both Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School graduates.
First thanking the officers of the department for their “continued dedication” and saying “you guys do an excellent job, and I couldn’t be more proud,” Breckenridge singled out McGovern’s family and told them, “you should be very proud of Joe. He worked very hard to get where he is going tonight … I’m sure Joe’s going to do a terrific job.”
McGovern’s journey to the captain’s position has been a long, hard-earned, diligent one, the chief said, starting nearly 30 years ago.
He recounted it. McGovern started in the department in 1987 as a dispatcher. In 1989, he became a special officer. In 1991, he became a probationary patrolman, then detective and OEM coordinator, which he still is.
In 2006, McGovern became a sergeant. And in 2008, he rose to the rank of lieutenant. Now he’s a captain. He has also earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and attended the prestigious FBI Academy.
“Joe has worked very hard with his promotional process, doing the right thing and doing his job,” Breckenridge said. “I am so proud and happy to stand here before you and congratulate you first, captain.”
With a smile, his wife holding the bible and two boys by his side, Mayor Ben Lucarelli administered the oath of office to McGovern.
With a modest smile and a simple “thank you” to “everyone for coming out,” McGovern said, “It’s been a long process and it’s finally here.”
Five stripes. Same smile. Same dedication.
McGovern will serve as acting chief as of Oct. 1, the official start day of Breckenridge’s retirement. Sgt. Robert Townshend is slated for a promotion to lieutenant. The new chief has not yet been chosen.
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