South Orange Police Appointed Its First Female Sergeant

SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The South Orange Police Department has its first female sergeant. Sally Reaves, who was previously a detective, was promoted last week.

“It's an honor and a privilege to be able to serve and protect such a beautiful town. I will continue to serve and protect the community of South Orange to the best of my ability," she said.

Reaves has been an officer for 18 years and joined the South Orange Police Department in 2007. She was also the department’s first female detective, after being promoted in 2020.

She teased about a possible future.

"This is only the beginning for me. Who knows, maybe I will be the first female chief of police,” she said.

Reaves was sworn in on June 14 by Acting Police Chief Steve Dolinac, Village President Sheena Collum and her husband, with around 30 of her family members attending the ceremony.

“As a front-line supervisor Sergeant Reaves takes on a position of enormous responsibility, that of ensuring that the daily public safety work of this agency is carried out effectively and efficiently,” Dolinac said in a written statement.

Before joining the police force, Reaves worked in the healthcare field for 13 years, according to the South Orange Community Police Collaborative.

“We are so proud to have you in a leadership role at SOPD, not only because you are the first female in this position, but also because you bring heart, soul and compassion to the job,” Collum said.

The swearing-in ceremony is available on Youtube: