June 11, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 5 Franklin Lakes Police Chief Seltenrich announces retirement by Frank J. McMahon Franklin Lakes Police Chief Joseph R. Seltenrich has announced his plans to retire at the end of July after serving the borough for 38 years. During the 38 years Seltenrich served on the borough’s police force, he spent 34 years in a supervisory capacity. He was appointed a probationary patrolman in December 1976 and became a patrolman in January 1978. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in September 1980, and became lieutenant in September 1989 and captain in January 2007. Seltenrich advised that, during his career, he spent 20 years as a patrol squad supervisor and 15 years in an administra- tive capacity as the department executive officer so he has experience in the patrol and administrative aspects of the depart- ment. The previous police chief, Irving Conklin, served in that position from 2000 until July 2010, when he retired. In a cost-saving effort, the borough agreed to rehire Conklin as a part time public safety director six months after he retired, which complied with the state’s pension require- ments. Seltenrich served as acting police chief during those six months and Conk- lin was appointed the borough’s part time public safety director. In February 2012, Seltenrich retired from the director’s post and Seltenrich was named chief of police. When he was appointed police chief, he pointed out that one of the highlights of his career was his attendance at the FBI Acad- emy in Quantico, Virginia in 1996 where he spent 11 weeks in a college semester and boot camp style program that included various types of police and management training courses and a great deal of physi- cal fitness activity. “I’ve accomplished what I set out to accomplish. I’ve seen the department grow from a smaller agency back then, and we’ve improved ourselves over the past 38 years and we’ve become what I consider to be one of the best departments in New Jersey,” Seltenrich said. The chief said he plans to take some time off and, after a while, seek out something differ- ent to do. “I’ve enjoyed this job right from day one and I’ve really enjoyed working for the Borough of Franklin Lakes. I’ve been treated well here, and I was fortunate enough to be promoted along the way and fortunate to become the chief of police,” he added. (continued on page 29)