Police Chief Joseph P. Rotonda (c.) and the newly-sworn officers.
BELLEVILLE –
One is following in the footsteps of three family members.
Three have prior law enforcement experience.
But all four will share the honor of wearing the uniform of a Belleville police officer.
Township Clerk Kelly Cavanaugh swore in the rookies last Thursday in a brief ceremony held in the council chambers at the Municipal Building with Police Chief Joseph P. Rotonda presiding.
Relatives and friends of the appointees attended, along with members of the Township Council and township interim manager Kevin Esposito, who offered congratulations.
But they didn’t have much chance to celebrate since, the day after, they were scheduled to begin their training at the Bergen County Police Academy which, Rotonda warned, “is one of the toughest in the state.”
Still, Rotonda said, “it’s a happy day for us, which we don’t get a lot of,” because the department is getting a boost with the new hires authorized by the governing body.
“This brings us to five shy of the total strength of 112 we’re allowed by township ordinance,” the chief told The Observer.
The new offiers are: Matt Kondrack, Angelo Liloia, Damian Kluss and Reynal Ferrer.
Kondrack, a 2010 Belleville High School graduate who has attended Montclair University and Caldwell, is a nephew of retired Capt. Chris Kondrack, brother of Lt. Kyle Kondrack and cousin of Patrolman Nick Kondrack, all of Belleville PD.
Liloia, a 2009 BHS alumnus, has worked for the Belleville Board of Education and, more recently, for the Essex County Corrections Department.
Kluss, also a 2009 graduate of BHS, has a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Caldwell University and has also worked for the Essex County Corrections Department.
Ferrer, who graduated from BHS in 2011, has attended Fairleigh Dickinson University and served with the ECCD.
Councilman Kevin Kennedy advised the recruits to take care. “You read the news, you see TV – you know what’s going on,” Kennedy said.
Esposito wished the men a “long and successful career.”
And their boss recommended they savor this moment because, “as soon as you start the Academy, you’re going to be studying all time and you’re gonna be tired and cranky. I guess I’ll see you back here in 22 weeks.”
As Academy cadets, the officers will be collecting a pro-rata salary of $36,990, as per the current PBA contract, according to Rotonda.
– Ron Leir
