GLEN RIDGE, NJ — Glen Ridge Police Chief Sheila Byron-Lagattuta announced her retirement in a press release from the borough on April 23, ending 39 years working in the Glen Ridge Police Department. At the April 26 Borough Council meeting, GRPD Capt. Sean Quinn was appointed the next police chief, making him the 12th person to lead the department.
Byron-Lagattuta grew up in Glen Ridge on Essex Avenue and graduated from the Glen Ridge Public Schools. She was hired as a dispatcher in 1982 has since served in every rank and position in the department. In 1996, she established the GRPD’s Domestic Violence Response Team, which is still active today.
“It has been a privilege serving as your police chief and acting director of public safety for the past 11 years,” Byron-Lagattuta said in the release. “Police chiefs, no matter the size of the municipality, are charged with overseeing the daily operations of their department that runs 24 hours a day. By interacting with the administration, the (Glen Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Squad) and the (Montclair Fire Department), the Board of Education and neighboring municipalities, we are able to oversee community safety in all aspects. Enhancing the safety of our schools and protecting our children has been a No. 1 priority post–Sandy Hook, and I am pleased to say that we have made great strides in the Glen Ridge school system and with Safe Routes to School.”
Byron-Lagattuta also said she has been committed to improving hiring standards and expanding diversity in the department, as the GRPD was accredited by the New Jersey State Chiefs Association. The accreditation enabled the department to update policies and procedures.
“This professional achievement will assure our residents that the Glen Ridge Police Department will continue to adhere to the state’s best practices,” Byron-Lagattuta said. “It has truly been an honor to watch the department change and grow over the years, and I am confident that, as the times we live in continue to change, we will continue to adapt and grow as a department and a borough.”
She thanked Glen Ridge and the other members of the GRPD for her time working in town. Her last day was May 1.
“I am certainly looking forward to the future retirement will bring me and the opportunity to spend more time pursuing other interests and spending time with my husband, Charles, a retired law enforcement officer in Cedar Grove, and my three children, Philip, Jillian and Candace,” Byron-Lagattuta said. “I will miss the day-to-day interactions with residents and colleagues, but am confident the true friendships established here will continue to grow and flourish, as will the Glen Ridge Police Department.”
Quinn has been a captain in the GRPD since 2016. According to Resolution No. 68-21, appointing him as chief, Quinn has completed advanced training by taking the prestigious Command and Leadership Course — also known as the West Point Leadership course — offered by the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Association and earned the Chief Harry Wilde Academic Achievement Award. He has also completed Command Leadership Institute training, offered by the FBI–Law Enforcement Executive Development Association, and has also earned a Master of Science in forensic science from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City.
Byron-Lagattuta retires from GRPD, Quinn becomes 12th chief added by Amanda Valentovic on
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