Chief Honors Lieutenant from Family of Fort Lee Police

Fort Lee Police Lt. Robert Zevits, a 22-year veteran of the police department and a Fort Lee native, has been named the “Chief’s Award” recipient for the month of March, Police Chief Thomas O. Ripoli announced this week.

“Lt. Zevits comes from a long lineage of a service-oriented family,” police said in a statement announcing the honor. “His father, the late Lt. Joseph Zevits, retired from the Fort Lee Police Department in 1985 with over 32 years of service to the borough. His oldest brother, Ret. Capt. Joseph Zevits, retired just over two years ago with 33 years of service to the borough. His sister, Joyce, was the first female officer to be appointed in the borough in 1978, and his brother, Michael, is currently a prosecutor in Hudson County.”

With that pedigree, Zevits joined the on Jan. 1, 1990 and served in patrol for several years before being assigned to the Traffic Division, according to police.

It was during that time that Zevits worked with the borough engineer to coordinate the remediation of “traffic problems” in Fort Lee, police said.

After attending Accident Reconstruction classes, Zevits was promoted to Sergeant in 1996, shortly after which he was transferred to and supervised the police department’s Computer Division.

“In 2004, Zevits was promoted to Lieutenant and assumed his current position as Tour Commander/Road Supervisor,” police said.

In that capacity, Zevits supervises the 8 x 4 shift, patrol assignments, manpower adjustments “during major incidents,” investigations, report reviews and coordination of police units with other borough agencies. He also investigates Internal Affairs-related complaints, police said.

Zevits, who was born and raised in Fort Lee, attended Holy Trinity grammar school and Bergen Catholic High School. He would go on to major in Accounting and English at Rutgers University. In 1987, Zevits earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the Rutgers School of Business, according to the police department.

Ripoli began honoring members of his department with the monthly Chief’s Award shortly after he took over as police chief as a way to recognize officers for their “positive contributions to the police department and to the Borough of Fort Lee.”

“Lt. Zevits has received awards for valor and life saving while serving as a police officer,” said a police spokesperson.