Sheriff Ed Rochford says so long. Video courtesy of Morris County
By Kevin Coughlin
Morris County Sheriff Ed Rochford made his ceremonial goodbye to law enforcement on Friday, shaking hands with police officers and officials who lined Court Street in Morristown to wish him a happy retirement from a career spanning more than half a century.
“Today’s a fun day for me,” said Rochford, whose 24-year run as sheriff followed 27 years as a Morris Township cop.
For most of his time as sheriff, Rochford was among the county’s most popular elected officials and a stalwart of the Morris GOP.
The ending was bumpier; in a clash over budgets, the Morris Freeholders took control of the county jail from him last year. Freeholders accused Rochford of awarding excessive raises. The sheriff defended the increases as necessary to halt turnover among staff.
Freeholders Kathy DeFillippo, John Cesaro, Tom Mastrangelo and Christine Myers attended Friday’s ceremony and gave Rochford a resolution of thanks. Incoming Sheriff James Gannon, who will regain oversight of the jail, praised him.
Rochford, 71, estimated he hired 400 officers over the years. He thanked them, singling out jail officers for doing “one of the toughest jobs in the world.”
Law enforcement has come a long way since he started in 1965, he said.
Back then, Township police cars had just been equipped with communication radios. They still lacked AM/FM radios, power windows and air conditioning. One red light on the fender. moved back and forth like a table fan. And the county police chiefs association “was more of a fun-type operation,” Rochford said.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes come through. Police officers today are better educated, they’re professionals…The chiefs in Morris County today are real true, great professionals.”
Morris County is a cut above, too, Rochford said.
“We have good government, good municipal government, good law enforcement, good emergency services.”
He even praised his predecessor, the late Sheriff John Fox, who he unseated in a Republican primary.
“Sheriff Fox had a vision for the future, with the K-9s, with the bomb squad, with our crime scene unit. He was the one who started all the good things that we have now in the Morris County sheriff’s office,” Rochford said.
Before deciding to run for sheriff, Rochford considered a second career in corporate security for Major League Baseball.
In retirement, he said, he plans to attend the Yankees’ spring training in Florida, and then visit every big league ballpark.
