Police and Fire

Focus: Hail & Farewell to Fair Haven’s Chief

The chief has left the building.

They call it the walkout. It’s a ceremonial official exit by a retiring police chief from headquarters for the last time to a crowd full of local and state police, state, county and local officials, residents and lots of pomp and circumstance.

It happened on Monday at 4 p.m. in Fair Haven. Police Chief Joe McGovern left the building for the last time with full honors, marking the start of his retirement after 39 years of protecting and serving the borough, the last 10 years plus as chief.

Symbolically, incoming chief, Jesse Dykstra, who will be sworn into the chief’s spot in December, stood at attention, the first to welcome the dress blues Chief McGovern to retirement — but not before a formal, traditional farewell, replete with salutes, honor guard, officers’ salute, and both serious and humorous send-off tributes. The walkout is a traditional farewell event that takes place on the outgoing chief’s last day at work. The goodbye honors the chief’s service to the department and community. A Fair Haven Community Center parking lot flush with respectful adulation for Chief McGovern, Lt. William Lagrotteria opened the headquarters door for McGovern to make his final exit with the full- regalia formal send-off.

There were speeches of gratitude by officials and honor bestowed to the retiree. And there were some light moments, as Fair Haven Borough Administrator Chris York, a former colleague of McGovern’s back in the day and retired Rumson police officer, joked that McGovern, when York started as administrator, took him out and said “You know, I’m the boss.” York gave McGovern a poster-sized reproduction of his driver’s license from when he was 23, the age he started working as a dispatcher in the police department.

Mayor Josh Halpern said he only said “No” to the chief once — when he requested a weight room in the new headquarters. He gifted him an autographed mini dumbbell.

There were lots of handshakes, hugs and oodles of homage paid by a grateful community, colleagues, friends and family.

And Chief Joe McGovern has left the parking lot, too.

Congratulations Chief! Thank you for your 39 years of dedicated service!

Take a look at the photo gallery below for a glimpse into the event (and be sure to click on one photo to enlarge and scroll.) …

McGovern was sworn in as chief on April 25, 2016. He served as acting chief for seven months after Chief Darryl Breckenridge retired. Chief McGovern started his law enforcement career as a dispatcher for the Fair Haven Police Department in 1987. He became a special law enforcement officer (SLEO) in 1989. In 1991, McGovern became a patrolman. Then, from 2002 to 2006, he served as a detective. In 2006, he was promoted to sergeant, then lieutenant in 2008. In 2015, the department brought back the captain rank to the borough and named McGovern captain before he became chief.

**R-FH Retro will be doing a full story on Chief McGovern in the near future.**

— Photos/Elaine Van Develde for R-FH Retro only … copyright protected