Mayor Appoints Capt. To Replace Retiring Mahwah Police Chief

MAHWAH, NJ — Mayor John Roth appointed Capt. Stephen Jaffe to replace Chief James Batelli, Roth announced Sunday night.

Batelli is retiring Thursday from the Mahwah Police Department after 41 years.

Jaffe, the department's second-in-command, would start as chief Friday, March 1. The Township Council will hold a special meeting Wednesday at 7 p.m. to consider and vote on Roth's appointment. The Council will speak with Jaffe in closed session before voting on the appointment in public session.

"Capt. Jaffe was selected because brings the most extensive command experience and accomplishments to the position of chief of all the candidates evaluated," Roth said in a statement.

The mayor said officials considered Jaffe, Capt. Stuart Blank, and all five police lieutenants for the job.

Jaffe, a township resident, joined the department in 1993 as a patrol officer. He was promoted to detective in 1998 and to captain in 2002.

Jaffe has been commander of the department's Drug Unit, been trained at the FBI Academy and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Training Academy, attended to the Harvard School of Public Health, and helped develop the police department's budget and presented it to officials. He is the department's liaison to nearby Ramapo College and is the department's Chief Information Officer.

Jaffe was formerly executive and commanding officer of the Bergen County Rapid Deployment Team and the Multi-Agency and Resource Squad that worked with various federal, state, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies to address high-profile crimes.

Jaffe has a bachelor's degree in business administration from Pace University and a master's degree in leadership and administration form Seton Hall University.

Roth said of Jaffe, "I believe he is the leader that would be highly competent and trustworthy and that I and future mayors could rely on him to always represent the best interests of Mahwah in discharging his duties."

Ten hours was spent reviewing candidates' personnel files and "no one was excluded on the basis of those files or their resumes," Roth said. Input was solicited from Council President David May, Municipal Court Judge Dennis Harraka, and Batelli.

Candidates were interviewed for one and a half to two hours each and both captains went on additional one hour interviews.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com