August 25, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES II • Page 3 Ridgewood John Ward to be village’s new chief of police joined the Ridgewood Police Department in 1983 as a sworn officer. He was named department captain in 2009. Ward said he had contemplated enlisting in the U.S. Army as a 17-year-old, but opted for the dispatcher’s position instead. “We have some very talented people,” the new chief said last week. He said that he wanted to foster team police work and community activities that promote improved public safety. One recent initiative is a decoy plan to ticket or deter motorists who ignore pedestrian safety. “Some people have referred to this as a string operation, but I prefer to think of it as a safety operation,” Ward said. “Our purpose is to prevent accidents and injuries rather that just write tickets. We notify people which streets we’re surveilling. We want them to drive safely.” The Ridgewood force now has 41 sworn officers, with an authorized strength of 43 officers, but Ward acknowledged the need to look realistically at municipal finances before attempting any recruitment. The new chief holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s Ridgewood Police Captain John Ward will be the village’s next chief of police. by John Koster Captain John Ward, a veteran of the Ridgewood Police Department since 1983 and the officer in charge following the resignation of former Chief John Li Puma, will be the village’s next chief of police. The appointment, which will take effect Sept. 1, was announced last week. Village Manager Kenneth Gabbert said he was appointing Ward to the post under Section 3-29 of the Village of Ridgewood’s code. Mayor Keith Killion, a former police captain and chief detective, recuses himself from any votes concerning police matters. “The nationally accredited village police department is blessed with quality officers,” Gabbert said. “We can look forward to continuing the outstanding service to the community with the new leadership team.” Ward entered service with Ridgewood in 1981 as an EMT and police dispatcher, and degree in public administration and administrative sciences, with post-graduate work in law and public safety and global leadership and human resources, all from Fairleigh Dickinson University. He has lectured on command and leadership at the United States Military Academy at West Point and said he eventually hopes to obtain a doctorate in a field related to administration. He reads extensively on matters related to public safety and about the scientific and medical aspects of police work. The chief-elect and his wife, Hauda, have three sons: John, 24; Ryan, 23; and Patrick, 21. He has a number of degrees in Tae Kwon Do, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu and said that one of his goals would be to work out an ability to have an officer, perhaps in affiliation with other departments, who can converse in Korean and/or Japanese to accommodate the fact that 20 percent of Ridgewood’s heads-of-family now speak Asian languages or Spanish at home. “Training is a big issue with me,” Chief Ward said. He said that having a welltrained and coordinated police force and reaching out to the total community would be his first priorities on the job. BACK TO SCHOOL SPECIALS $5.00 OFF ANY SERVICE ANY SERVICE with purchase of $20 of service or more Can not be combined with any other offer. Exp. 9/30/10 $30.00 OFF Can not be combined with any other offer. Exp. 9/30/10 LCN SET Reg. $90.00 304 S. 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