Longtime Morris County Detective With Inspiring Story Retires

MORRIS COUNTY, TX — More than two decades of work paid off for Detective Captain Mike Chiarolanza last Friday. The longtime Morris County Sheriff's Office employee, who climbed the ranks within the office for more than two decades, retired.

Chiarolanza's retirement was celebrated Friday, Jan. 31, with a reception hosted at PBA 151, which was followed by a celebratory walkout. Fellow officers stood to congratulate Chiarolanza while a bagpiper played and the Sheriff’s Office Honor Guard presented flags.

According to a press release from the sheriff's office, Chiarolanza was faced with a major challenge just after graduating with his sociology degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1992. An injury from a motorcycle accident led to the amputation of his right leg, and he lost everything below the knee.

But his injury didn't slow him down, the sheriff's office said. While still awaiting a prosthetic leg, Chiarolanza took his civil service exam on crutches. He then worked as a civilian dispatcher for more than two years before going to police training in 1996.

In training, the now-retired detective passed all training requirements, including physical tests like obstacle courses and running a few miles each day.

After passing the exam, Chiarolanza began working at the sheriff's Protective Services Division, where he provided security and records building services and helped develop the agency's Certified EMT program, the release stated.

In 2003, he joined the agency's Process Section, serving legal papers and enforcing domestic violence restraining orders in Morris County. He was also a founding member of the Morris County Rapid Deployment Team, which provided relief int he wake of Hurricane Katrina.

In 2008, Chiarolanza was assigned to a task force focusing on organized crime and gang-related offenses, and in 2012 he was assigned to the Family Section of the Protective Services Division.

In 2013 he began managing the sheriff's K-9 Section, and in 2015 he became supervisor for the Process Section.

A year later, Chiarolanza was promoted to Detective Lieutenant and assigned as Division Commander of the Legal Services Division. There, he oversaw legal process, administration of issued warrants and all aspects of K-9 operations.

His last promotion came in September 2019 when he was given the position of Detective Captain. There, he was in charge of the Specialized Service Division, includes Legal Services, pre- and post-foreclosures units, Process and Warrant Sections, the K-9 Section and the Bomb Unit.

During his time with the sheriff's office, Chiarolanza also assisted in crowd control and maintaining order at volatile white supremacist demonstrations in Morristown by a white supremacist. He also was part of a team that came to the rescue after terror attacks on 9/11.

“Working as a law enforcement officer for the Morris County Sheriff’s Office has literally and truly, in every sense of the statement, meant that my dream had come true," Chiarolanza said in a statement. "I have an overwhelming sense of fulfillment, pride, thanks, and accomplishment in my service to the people of Morris County."

Moving forward, Chiarolanza will continue his work as a commissioner of the Madison Housing Authority. He will also work as an adjunct professor at County College of Morris and will oversee operations of the Florham Park Memorial First Aid Squad.