New Officer Joins the Fanwood Ranks

The Fanwood Police Department is now one person stronger thanks to the recent hiring of a new patrol officer.

Elliott Bernard, 23, joined the ranks on Dec. 15, just days after graduating from the John H. Stamler Police Academy in Scotch Plains. Bernard is taking the place of Sgt. Howard Jarvis, who retired in late 2009.

The hire is a good one for the department, which last brought on new officers around 2005-2006 and suffered a loss during the borough's 2008 layoffs. Fanwood PD is now equipped with 19 officers total.

The young patrolman told Patch that becoming a police officer has been his life-long goal. As a child growing up in Woodbridge, he always admired a neighbor who served as a cop. He also played sports on several PBA leagues and developed close relationships with the officers who served as his coaches.

"I looked up to all these guys," Bernard said.

In college, Bernard pursued a degree in law enforcement and society, with a minor in women's studies, at Ramapo College. That women's studies minor was driven by Bernard's interest in learning more about domestic violence, a crime that's dealt with far too often by police departments. He also served as an EMT in Union and as a dispatcher in Verona while in school.

Bernard graduated from the police academy on Dec. 7 and received the offer from Fanwood just days later. 

"I love the size of this department," he said. "I like to get to know the faces of the residents and business owners. I wanted to work somewhere where people would know my name."

Bernard says that while Fanwood is his first job in the law enforcement field, he's already decided that he wants to stay here for awhile and work up the ranks.

"I'm learning a lot here; there's so much to learn," he said. "There's so many laws, motor vehicle laws, criminal laws. I studied my butt off at the police academy, but there's guys here who've worked for 20 years, and they know the little tricks to remembering it all."

Bernard is currently going out on the road each day with one of the department's sergeants as backup. 

"Getting to know the people, the roads, the laws, the train station," Bernard said, naming the most challenging parts of starting the job.

"My first motor vehicle stop I was pretty nervous," he added. "Nothing is ever routine, but I'm learning what to watch for."

Bernard officially gave his oath of office during the Fanwood Council meeting on Jan. 12.