Jack Petrovic to end
38-year career June 30
By:Roger Alvarado
After 38 years on the force, Police Chief Jack Petrovic has announced it’s time to call it a career.
Chief Petrovic, who is just the seventh chief of police in the borough’s 76-year history, formally announced his intention to retire June 30 at Saturday’s Borough Council reorganization meeting.
Mayor Angelo Corradino said Monday a special committee will be created to oversee the interview process to choose Chief Petrovic’s successor by the end of February. Mayor Corradino said a decision naming a new chief could be reached by the Borough Council’s second meeting in April.
The mayor called Capt. Mark Peltack and Lts. Ira Whitenight and Mark Sniscak "good candidates" to fill the position.
The mayor said that if council members agree he would like to appoint whomever is selected to be assistant chief for the duration of May and June, so that Chief Petrovic can show him around and assure that the department undergoes a smooth transition.
During Saturday’s meeting Mayor Corradino and Borough Council recognized Chief Petrovic by presenting him with a proclamation, and telling him that the borough’s emergency management storage center will be renamed in his honor.
The decision to honor Chief Petrovic in January rather than waiting until closer to the chief’s retirement date was an easy one, Mayor Corradino said.
"If you try to do something in June you’re going to have the same three people that come to the meetings all the time there," Mayor Corradino said. "That’s not how you honor somebody who has dedicated 38 years to the borough … that’s why we needed to recognize him on reorganization day."
During his brief remarks Chief Petrovic, who was greeted with thunderous applause both when he went up to the podium to accept his proclamation and when he finished speaking, said it had been a pleasure to have served the borough for so many years and said he always took pride in knowing that Manville officers were the best trained in the state.
"I’d like to thank Angelo and all the council members for their help the past five years as chief," a visibly moved Chief Petrovic said. "I’ve really given a lot to the Police Department."
"You’re not going to find a finer gentleman or more of a professional man than the chief," Mayor Corradino said Monday. "He came in under trying times after we lost (former Chief) Michael (Moschak) and turned into a tremendous chief. He picked up the ball and ran the department the way it needed to be run."
Mayor Corradino admitted that Chief Petrovic didn’t have it easy.
"He had to put up with me," Mayor Corradino said jokingly. "Over the last couple years there was a lot of talk about merging the Police Department … and he argued in a professional manner and didn’t hold grudges and wasn’t derelict in his job.
"You’re just not going to find a finer professional than Jack."
Chief Petrovic, then a captain, became acting chief of the department in February 2000 after the death of Chief Michael Moschak. He has been on the force since 1967.
During his tenure with the force Chief Petrovic worked under five of the borough’s seven chiefs.
Born in Elizabeth, Chief Petrovic moved to Manville when he was 8 and began his career with the department when he was 26.