BPD Donates to Bergenfield Museum

Dedicated members of the Bergenfield Museum Society pose with some of the artifacts donated today. L-R, Barry Doll, Fran Zura, Jean McCartney, Joanne Thomas and Chief Michael Carr. Photo taken by Margaret Lowe.

Chief Carr, on behalf of the officers, 911 telecommunicators and civilian personnel of the Bergenfield Police Department, donated several pictures as well as some artifacts of historical significance to the Bergenfield Museum today. The members of the Museum Society accepted the items which will be exhibited in a section of the Cooper House dedicated in honor of the history of the police department. This same room and area will also display exhibits from other emergency services within the borough, including the fire department and ambulance corps.

The historical pieces included a Police Blotter book, "Blotter #2", with entries from September 1923 thru 1924. This book contained the handwritten daily list of incidents and activities of the officers of the Bergenfield Police Department. The book is in very good condition and can be perused by museum visitors to read the events from a date in history. Blotter #1 is on display at police headquarters in the main hallway of Borough Hall.

Additionally the museum received a radar unit (circa 1970-1971). This Doppler radar unit was purchased for the Traffic Bureau to enforce speed limits within the Borough. Donated along with the radar unit was a photo that was taken of the radar attached to Traffic Car 707, as it was being demonstrated by Lieutenant Joseph Detourney to former Mayor and Councilman James Lodato.



Finally, the museum society received several pictures for wall display which included a portrait of the first Chief of Police of the Bergenfield Police Department, Scott D. Coombs. Chief Coombs served the department from 1921 thru 1939. Additionally photos of police cars,  a favorite of museum visitors, as well as police motorcycles, were framed and ready for their place on the wall of history. The police department hopes to donate more photos and portraits for display at the museum so visitors can take a look back in time to see how their police department began.

The museum is open on Tuesdays and Saturdays from 1 PM to 3 PM. We encourage you to stop in and see the history of the Cooper House as well as the history of Bergenfield through artifacts and photos. It will certainly enlighten your historical knowledge of the Borough of Bergenfield.