Brief History of the Department

The Bergen County Traffic Police was started in 1917 when the Board of Chosen Freeholders appointed Arthur "Bert" Bredin, as a lone police officer to regulate the increasing traffic on county roads. Initial duties included the monitoring of the condition of county roads for safety, and reporting any defects to the county road department and county engineer. As traffic increased, the duties of the single police officer became overwhelming. Bredin transferred to the county road department and his police duties were taken over by Peter J. Siccardi. A second officer, William Bratt, was added a short time later to monitor speeders over county bridges. In 1918 George Shafer was also added to assist Siccardi in the police duties. Bratt resigned his position and in 1921 the county freeholders, at their annual reorganization meeting, expanded the police department to eight members - a Chief, Lieutenant and six patrolmen. All performed their duties on motorcycles (Harley Davidsons). The Chief, Peter J. Siccardi ran the day to day operations of the department with the assistance of Lieutenant George Shafer. The six original patrol officers were Matthew J. Donohue (the next Chief), Curtis W. Reynolds, John Fitzgerald, Charles Sontag, Louis P. Gentner, and George Robertson. Shortly thereafter Robertson refused appointment and was replaced by Clarence Ackerman. Reynolds resigned after a short time and was replaced by Edward Harry. During this early period of the Bergen County Traffic Police, enforcement centered on speeders, weight limits on county bridges, as well as monitoring and providing assistance to all local police departments with basic police service. A major service was accident investigation. Several investigators were assigned to the Bergen County Traffic Police and worked in conjunction with the prosecutor's office on fatal accidents.

In 1924 the department was increased to twelve men. The Bergen County Traffic Police headquarters was located in a single-family house located on the corner of Hudson, Essex and Main Streets, Hackensack (this building has since been demolished) on the same location as the old County Administration building.. The patrol function was still accomplished on motorcycles (Indian), however due to an enormous absence from duty related to injuries received from accidents, studies were underway to move patrol into automobiles. As with all bureaucratic agencies this change did not happen until the mid 1930's.

In 1933, the department now at 18 men, (and still on motorcycles) was the recipient of a new technology, the two way radio communication. Fred W. Link, the developer of the communication system, experimented with his FM radio system with the Bergen County Police Department. The Freeholders at that time refused to finance the start up costs and maintenance costs in running this communication system. The system was finally set up with the engineering and equipment costs borne by Mr. Link and the members of the police department. On April 18, 1933 the Bergen County Police Department became the first department in the State of New Jersey to use a two-way radio communications system. The call letters WPFK operated on frequency 2430 kilocycles with a 250 watt power output. Today the Bergen County Police Department Communications Division operates on nine radio frequencies. Those frequencies cover all facets of county government, including Police, Fire, Bergen County Transportation, Bergen County Government, Office of Emergency management, the Alert channel, the SPEN channel, and a channel covering the New Jersey Department of Transportation. The department also started making its move to patrolling in automobiles. The motorcycle was slowly being fazed out of everyday police work.

Another "first" was the Bergen County Aerial Police started in 1928. Two of the department's members, Chief Siccardi and Officer Charles LoPresti were the members of that unit. The airplane was a Fokker built in Teterboro and was donated to the police. Several internationally renowned pilots were given "Special Police" titles and assisted in the patrol duties. Among those pilots were Clyde Pangborn and Bert Balchen. The airplane was soon found to be more useful in public relations events than patrol work. On September 02,1931, Officer LoPresti and a passenger crash-landed in Teterboro airfield totally wrecking the airplane. Officer LoPresti suffered a broken nose and bruises. The passenger (unidentified) had a cut on the face. The Freeholders refused to pay for the repair or replacement of the airplane and the era of the first Aerial Police ended. When repairs were eventually made, the function of the aerial police was limited to special events and air shows. The airplane was soon to travel the same route as the motorcycle in its function with the Bergen County Police Department.

Since those early days the Bergen County Police Department has been able to offer support services to all of the Bergen County municipalities. Some of those services include a Water Search and Recovery Team (SCUBA), a Bomb Team and a Barricaded Subject and Hostage Negotiation Team (SWAT). The department also fields a team of investigators that work in conjunction with the Medical Examiner's Office and Prosecutor's Office in the investigation of sudden deaths. A Canine (K-9) squad also assists departments in the investigation of burglary, narcotics, and arson incidents. There has been continual cooperation with county, state and federal agencies and all of the special squads of the Bergen County Police Department. A Criminal Investigations Division offers support services to the Patrol Division and also investigates any criminal activity that occurs within any county buildings, offices, roads, or parks.

All of the above mentioned squads are well equipped and well trained for their respective missions. One Division that interacts with the local police departments on a regular basis is the Traffic Safety Division. This squad, formed in 1971, offers a weigh team, used to weigh trucks that utilize county bridges. There is also a radar team that controls speeders on the county and state roads in Bergen County. Traffic Safety also offers calibration for all municipal police department squad cars. The Traffic Safety Division compiles all county data in reference to all fatal accidents. The Division also makes recommendations to the county engineer when certain areas of county roads are dangerous, accident induced or in need of sign warnings.

The County Police have assisted the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute, Mahwah New Jersey, with administrative and instructional duties since the academy's inception in 1968. The academy staff has been responsible for all of the basic training received by police officers that work in the Bergen County municipalities. It is with pride and honor that the Bergen County police Academy Staff graduates the most professional and dedicated police officer. It is this dedication to duty that the current police officer takes with him/her to their respective jurisdictions and ultimately benefit the people of Bergen County. That same professionalism is carried throughout every member of the Bergen County Police Department.

Today, the Bergen County Police Department has eighty sworn personnel. The basic core functions of the department have remained the same throughout its existence - that is to assist the local police departments when requests for services are made, and serve and protect the public with fidelity and honor. The Patrol Division continues to offer the best professional services available be they calls for basic or specialty operations. The Bergen County Police Department stands ready to serve twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

 

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Lt. Robert Zimick
Copyright © 1998-2006  Bergen County Police Department. All rights reserved.                                
Revised: February 20, 2003