Captain Roy Bortolus: Chief’s Award Recipient for January

Chief Thomas O. Ripoli created a monthly “Chief’s Award” when he took over the duties of Fort Lee Police Chief in 2004. The monthly award honors individual officers for their years of commitment to the department, as well as their outstanding contributions to the community. Each month, one administrative award is issued to a member of the Fort Lee Police Department. For January, Captain Roy Bortolus is the recipient of the Chief’s Award.

Roy Bortolus began his career in law enforcement when he entered the Police Academy in September of 1982.  He served in the patrol division for the next 9 years and was also selected for the Emergency Services Unit in 1986, in which he served until 2002, holding positions as an assault team member, sniper, hostage negotiator and team commander.

In 1991, Bortolus was promoted to Sergeant and served the department in the Patrol Division, also becoming a team commander for the ESU team.

In 1996, Bortolus was promoted to Lieutenant and served as a Patrol Division Shift Supervisor. During 9-11, he ran the Emergency Operations Center; all assignments, road closures, escorts of construction equipment to and from the World Trade Center site and GWB security patrols were deployed and documented through the control center.

In 2002, Bortolus was promoted to Captain and assigned to the Patrol Division.

He was also the department’s Counter-Terrorism Coordinator/Homeland Security Liaison and instructor, which includes gathering of intelligence information, analysis and distribution.

In 2005, Bortolus was assigned to the Traffic Division, where he managed the daily operations of the division, applied for grants, oversaw and approved traffic engineering studies conducted by traffic officers and reviewed new construction planning to deal with traffic impact on areas within the borough.

During his career, Captain Bortolus attended extensive training to better himself in his career. Such training included basic and advanced investigative courses, counterterrorism courses, which he started taking as early as 1986, basic and advanced tactical operations, firearms instructor, active shooter instructor, counterterrorism instructor, terrorism advanced investigative and intelligence course, money laundering and terror financing, incident command and numerous others, totaling over 70 courses.

Captain Bortolus has received commendations for valor, service and life-saving during his career, including an Assembly Commendation in 1996 for his leadership and service to the community.

Captain Bortolus is currently assigned as the Detective Division Commander and is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of general investigations, narcotics, juvenile bureaus and internal affairs

He married his wife Erica in 1988, and they later had 2 children, Alena, now 20 and a student at Bergen Community College, and Neil, now 17 and a junior at Waldwick High School.