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POMPTON LAKES - Police Chief Ekkers retires
(by Dorothy O'Connor - Correspondent - September 10, 2008)
POMPTON LAKES - After more than 40 years as a member of the Pompton Lakes Police Department, serving half of that time as chief, Albert Ekkers officially retired last month but remains as devoted as ever to his community.
"Al always had his heart in the community," said Lt. Moises Agosto, longtime colleague of Ekkers. "He always put the community first. He would drop anything he was doing to talk to people. In fact, one of the things he tried to bring to the department as chief was the concept of community policing, and in a small town like this, community policing is important.
"Al is a guy who just loved his job. It was never a 9-5 deal with Al. He put his heart into the department and the community. Even though he is gone from the job – he is still here, still available to help anyone who wants or needs it. He knows the needs of the people and always reached out for them. He knew how to network with the people in the community as well as other police departments," said Lt. Agosto.
Of his tenure as police chief, Agosto said, "Al was a good manager who set a good standard of professionalism for the department."
This past week, as Ekkers’ year-long terminal leave came to an end and his retirement from the Police Department became official, his family and close friends held a surprise dinner for him at The Brownstone in Paterson. Daughter Michelle (Ekkers) Omodeo said, "My dad just wanted to retire quietly but the family and some friends wanted to honor him, to acknowledge him as a very honorable and generous man."
Michelle along with Ekkers’ wife, Janet, described father and husband as, "Someone everyone could count on – whether family or stranger, if you need him, he is always there for you. He is a man who is sensitive to the needs of others and he looks for the good in everything."
Others agreed, citing those in the community who had fallen on hard times, whether as a result of illness, injury or financial difficulties, and received anonymous help from the former chief throughout the years.
"He never talked about it, but there were so many people he just brought food or clothes or toys for the kids when he knew the family was having problems," one friend said. "Sometimes he reached out to community organizations like the Rotary Club and the Elks to find money to help people pay their mortgage or utility bills when they were having problems. Not many people knew what he did – he didn’t want to embarrass anyone."
Chief Ekkers said he would not deny his love for either the job or his community.
"A police officer’s job is not an easy one – whether you’re out answering calls or trying to run the department. As chief I quickly found out that you can’t make everybody happy, but I had to make decisions that I could live with, and I sincerely tried to do what I felt was best for the town and to make it a safe community.
"The thing I always enjoyed the most was my involvement with the community – I took a lot of heat for taking the school crossing post, but it meant a lot to me to be out there and available to talk to the kids and the parents. I think it’s important for every police officer to get out of the car or the office and talk to people – to get to know the residents – what’s important to them – what’s bothering them," said Ekkers.
From an early age
He came by his vision of community policing at a very early age – in Amsterdam, Holland where he was born, and where his grandfather was a constable.
The Ekkers family – Albert, his mother, father and two sisters – immigrated to this country, landing on Ellis Island on June 19, 1950, and lived in Queens, the Bronx and Jersey City before settling in Pompton Lakes when Al was 16.
"Being brought up mostly in the cities, I had a lot of contact with police in those days – you always saw the neighborhood cop involved with the community, doing good things. When I was in the third grade I was on the safety patrol in Jersey City and I remember feeling good about that, and at Pompton Lakes High School I was told that I would be good with social work - I always enjoyed that kind of involvement also," Ekkers said.
While still in high school, Ekkers joined the Army National Guard, serving with the 50th Armored Division. After graduation, he worked as a carpenter and builder until an opportunity came along to take the test for the Pompton Lakes Police Department. Hired as a patrolman in 1968, Ekkers started with a salary of just $5,200, which increased to $6,200 soon afterward as a result of a referendum in which local taxpayers voted in favor of the $1,000 increase and other benefits for their police officers.
"My first day on the job I worked with Bob Gordon, Sandy Galacio and Joe Sisco, under Chief Charles. My first shift was midnights and I remember that first day I was so engrossed in the work – I thought it was so interesting and exciting – that I wanted to stay on and do a double (shift)," he laughs at the memory of how his colleagues working that night "looked at me like I was crazy!"
But he is not ashamed to admit, "My career meant so much to me – it gave me my family (five children and eight grandchildren) and so many good friends."
The toughest calls to answer
Still, whether working in the inner cities or suburban communities, Ekkers appreciates how physically, mentally and emotionally challenging is the life of every police officer. And, there came a time in his own career when he thought he might not be up to the emotional challenge.
"You get involved in a lot of emotional calls, and when you work in a small town like this and know so many of the residents, it’s all that much harder," he said. Among the worst and most challenging have been those that involve the death of a child.
There was the hysterical young mother who called police to report that her 18-month-old baby was not breathing. When Ekkers got to the house he found the baby completely wrapped in a bedspread.
"We tore at the bedspread as fast as we could to get to the baby, but he was already dead – he’d been beaten to death by the mother’s boyfriend while she was at the supermarket, because the baby woke up and was crying."
Then there were the two children – the same ages as two of Ekkers’ own children at the time – in a house on Ramapo Street who were playing in their basement when a fire broke out directly beneath the basement stairs. Unable to escape, the children took refuge behind the washing machine. Ekkers was among the first on the scene.
"The firemen made their way through the thick smoke and pulled the kids out, laid them on the ground and we started mouth-to-mouth and CPR – we tried everything, but they died,” he said.
"I ripped my uniform shirt and hat off and threw them on the ground and started walking away. I remember saying, ‘This isn’t for me – I can’t do this anymore.’ But, Howard Ball (former Suburban Trends editor and fellow Pompton Lakes resident) was there and saw it all and talked me out of quitting. He talked to me about the importance of service to the community. I can still hear him today, explaining that over time I would learn how to disassociate enough to be able to provide that service. What he said to me that day kept me there," said Ekkers.
"I did learn to do that, but those kind of things are always emotional for police officers, especially in a small town like this because you know everybody – you know where the people are who are hurting and you try to help," said Ekkers.
From his first day on the job in March 1968, Ekkers was promoted to the Detective Bureau in 1974, became a patrol sergeant in 1980, was assigned as detective lieutenant in 1984 and earned the rank of chief in 1987.
A town that pulls together
"We’ve gone through a lot over the years as a police department, but I believe that the officers there today are some of the best we’ve ever had and are well trained and capable of doing a good job for the residents," Ekkers said.
"Plus whenever there’s a need, this town really pulls together, and that’s the best thing about all of the departments and residents in this town – the way everyone works together whenever there’s a need. Every time there’s a flood, everyone – in and out of the flood zone – does whatever they can to help – the DPW (Department of Public Works) gets out there to clean up and clear away all of the water damaged things so people don’t have to be reminded day after day what they lost; the businesses send food and drinks to the emergency workers, and help the residents replace appliances and furniture and clothes," Ekkers said. "Those are hard times – I’ve walked behind the garbage truck with my son, cleaning up in flooded neighborhoods – but they are also times that bring out the best in the community."
Ekkers says he has no intention or desire to move from his beloved hometown. In fact, he’s eager to find other ways to help, now that he has officially retired from the Police Department.
"I’ve always enjoyed working with senior citizens, and I’m hoping to expand my involvement as a member of the board of directors of the senior housing, or continue to serve the residents of the community in some other capacity," said the former chief.
Daughter Michelle recalls, "When I was in school – high school especially – I was worried about how I would be treated by the other kids because of my father being a police officer, but so many kids said to me, ‘Your father always gives people a second chance,’ and that was such a great thing to hear."
Now Ekkers is enjoying is own "second chance" for community service.
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