24 Park Police Take Historic Oath As Morris Co. Sheriff Officers

MORRIS COUNTY, NJ — The Morris County Sheriff’s Office officially absorbed the county’s park police force on Jan. 1. taking in 24 park officers.

The officers and their Chief of the new Patrol Unit, Jack Ambrose, were officially sworn in on Dec. 30, to provide uninterrupted insurance coverage for the officers by Jan. 1, keeping them on par with other officers statewide, something that sparked the consolidation process in October.

The previous, last-standing, independent park police force in New Jersey for the state’s largest county park system, the Park Police will remain autonomous in the newly-formed Patrol Division within the Sheriff’s Office.

During the ceremony, the Morris County Park Police flag and patch were officially retired, the officers wearing their park police uniforms one last time, according to a news release about the event from the county.

Morris County Sheriff James Gannon called the joining of the two forces, “historic,” with “a new, highly trained Patrol Division within my office that will enhance the protection of not only our unique, one-of-a-kind park system, but also all of our county facilities and the Morris County community in general.”

“Under the tutelage of Jack Ambrose, a seasoned, law enforcement veteran who was sworn in as Chief of the new division today, the people of Morris County can expect nothing short of the finest service from this professional team of officers,” Gannon said during the ceremony at the County College of Morris’ Dragonetti Auditorium.

Ambrose, the new chief, retired as a captain with the East Hanover Police Department after 33 years and joined the Sheriff’s Office in May 2020, having provided training at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy as its lead Drill Instructor and Physical Training Instructor.

Among attendees in-person and virtually, were Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw, Commissioner John Krickus, Morris County Park Commission Chairman Stuart Lasser, Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, CCM President Anthony J. Iacono and his administrative staff, Morris County Crimestoppers Chairman John Sette and Washington Township Chief of Police Jeffrey Almer, who is Chairman of the Morris County Police Chiefs Association.

“The appointment of Jack Ambrose as Chief Warrant Officer adds a highly experienced and respected law enforcement professional to lead the Patrol function and the Morris County Prosecutors Office looks forward to working with the Sheriff and Jack in this new unification,” Carroll said.

“This ceremony culminates a necessary and prudent consolidation of law enforcement resources that will enhance the safety and enjoyment of our Morris County park system for more than four million people who visit it each year,” Shaw said. “With more than 20,000 acres of parkland and 39 facilities ranging from golf courses to historic sites, this is the largest county park system in New Jersey and an important community asset that we need to properly protect.”

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