Mission Statement

The Rochelle Park Police Department is a dedicated and diverse group of professionals who are committed to working with the diverse members of the community to make the town of Rochelle Park a safe and desirable place to live, work, and visit. Our mission is to partner with the community to solve problems, enforce the law, and improve public safety in a manner that is fair, impartial, transparent, and consistent; recognizing this all begins with our most valuable asset, a highly trained, motivated and enthusiastic employee.

Vision Statement

The administrative and operational philosophies and work processes of the Rochelle Park Police Department will involve every employee of the agency in an effort to continually improve public confidence by strengthening and expanding our partnership with the community, by maintaining and improving upon established professional standards, by using the most efficient and effective techniques and methods, and by promoting personal and professional growth for our employees.

The Township of Rochelle Park

The Township of Rochelle Park was originally named Midland Township though to avoid confusion with Midland Park, changed its name on November 5, 1929 by a vote of 503 to 69. The police department was first established in 1907 when the first ordinances were established to control traffic which was increasing within the township. Paul M Thiem became the first Police Chief and had seven part-time police officers. Prior to this time a special constable would enforce the laws of the Township along with the Bergen County Sheriff.

During the 1920’s Rochelle Park Police was headquartered in the back room of a corner store at the intersection of Rochelle Ave and Chestnut St and used a motorcycle for patrol. In 1925 a Dodge Touring Car was purchased for the police department and Rochelle Park (Midland Township) became the first community in Bergen County to patrol by automobile. In 1927 Rochelle Park (Midland Township) added three patrolmen who worked in shifts from 8:00 am to midnight. No patrols were maintained during the night. The patrol car had a radio receiver, but no way to transmit messages back to headquarters.

Over 100 years after the police department was first established, Rochelle Park Police has increased in size to a total of 23 full time Police Officers and 4 full time dispatchers. The police department patrols 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on rotating 12 hour shifts. Though the times have certainly changed since our first Chief Paul Thiem patrolled the streets of our township, the goal to protect and serve our residents remains the same.