From the Archives

A Farewell to Fort Lee Police Chief, Coach Ripoli

A tribute to Fort Lee's retiring police chief, who once upon a time coached the borough's youth.

As these short December days melt into memory, we here in Fort Lee should take time to bid farewell to our Police Chief, Tom Ripoli, who will retire with the ringing in of the New Year.  The Chief has received many accolades over the past few weeks and will likely see many more in the coming days. All are well deserved. However these accolades center on his time as Chief of the Fort Lee Police Department and for his 41-year career in the department. The Chief is not only from Fort Lee, he is Fort Lee, and I will tell you why from my own personal perspective. Decades ago in the fall of 1972 across Main Street from Borough Hall, I first met Tom Ripoli. I was an 11-year-old kid from the Coytesville section of town. My friend Shawn and I …

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New Fort Lee Police Chief, Deputy Police Chief Sworn In

With Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli set to retire Dec. 31, Capt. Keith Bendul and Capt. Timothy Ford will assume their duties as Chief and Deputy Chief, respectively, of the Fort Lee Police Department on Jan. 1.

Dozens of police officers and chiefs from Fort Lee and other towns, along with family and friends, packed Fort Lee's Borough Hall Thursday, as the Mayor and Council swore in a new police chief and deputy police chief. As expected, Capt. Keith Bendul was appointed Chief of the Fort Lee Police Department, and Capt. Timothy Ford was appointed Deputy Police Chief. Their appointments are effective Jan. 1, 2013, with current Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli having reached the mandatory retirement age and therefore leaving the post he has served in since 2004 at the end of the year. The entire Mayor and Council presented Ripoli with a plaque “in recognition of his 41 years of service to people of Fort Lee,” words which Sokolich called “so …

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Fort Lee Police Honor Those Who Serve

At the 9th annual Merit Awards Ceremony Thursday, Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli paid tribute to all those who serve the community.

The Fort Lee Police Department held its 9th annual Merit Board ceremony Thursday in Borough Hall’s council chambers, honoring their own for heroic deeds over the past year, as well as those of civilian members of the department, members and heads of other Borough departments and the public. In his opening remarks, Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli said, "This being my ninth and final Merit Awards Ceremony, I hope that this tradition is carried on." Ripoli called the annual ceremony “an important event” and a “morale-booster for the rank and file.” Ripoli, who will be retiring at the end of the year due to New Jersey's mandatory retirement for Police Chiefs at 65, is the longest tenured police officer in Fort Lee history with 41 years of …

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Howard L. Pearl

8:37 am on Saturday, November 17, 2012

If ever there was a perfect time to honor our police force, it is in November 2012. Their dedication and tireless efforts in assisting the citizens of Fort Lee to survive the aftermath of “Sandy” should be remembered and respected.   more ›

Man Charged With Car Break-Ins

Police took man into custody Thursday morning after victims of car thefts positively identify items found in backpacks as theirs.

A 38-year-old Union City man was arrested early Thursday morning on 15th Street in connection with two car break-ins in Palisades Park and Fort Lee near 15th Street, Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli reported. At approximately 4 a.m. Thursday morning, Palisades Park police alerted surrounding towns to be on the lookout for a male on a bike who had just committed a burglary to a parked vehicle on the border of Fort Lee and Palisades Park.  According to Ripoli, Fort Lee Police officers Mark Radoian and Anthony Bozzetti located the suspect, Juan Hernandez, who allegedly smelled of marijuana. In searching his backpack, police found a laptop, casino reward cards that did not belong to him and a small bag of marijuana, police said. Hernandez …

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Police Chief Talks Pros, Cons of Red Light Cameras

The state announced Tuesday it was ordering 21 municipalities to suspend red light camera programs. Fort Lee Police Chief discussed a wide range of issues as the special guest speaker at the Fort Lee GOP’s monthly meeting.

Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli says there are “negatives and positives” to red light camera enforcement programs, and that he’ll go along with what the Fort Lee Mayor and Council decides when it comes to the question of whether to institute such a program in the borough. Ripoli made those remarks at the Fort Lee VFW, where he was the special guest speaker at the United Republican Club of Fort Lee (URCFL)’s meeting, which the organization touted as “An Evening with Police Chief Thomas Ripoli.” URCFL president David Cohen introduced Ripoli as “a very fair man” after recounting the highlights of Ripoli’s impressive, 41-year career with the Fort Lee Police Department. And on an evening largely characterized by polite, even cordial …

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