SOUTH AMBOY—The city’s newest police captain, Joseph Matarangolo, was sworn in at the Sept. 1 City Council meeting.
The ceremony was the brainchild of Matarangolo’s longtime friend and colleague, Chief Darren LaVigne, and was the first of its kind in the city. The chief said he plans to have future ceremonies to celebrate other police department promotions.
“I’m very happy that this is happening,” Mayor John O’Leary said, commenting to LaVigne. “This is a tradition I hope that you’ll have going forward.”
LaVigne thanked the mayor and council for the opportunity to honor Matarangolo, and other officers in the future, in this manner. He then called the new captain to the dais.
“Officer Matarangolo, front and center,” he said.
Matarangolo, who attended South Amboy schools and played in the city’s Little League, takes the captain position left vacant when LaVigne accepted the chief role.
LaVigne had served with Matarangolo years ago as a fellow Middlesex County Parks police officer, but they go back even further.
“I met him 45 years ago in kindergarten,” LaVigne said just before Matarangolo took the oath. He said the mayor “brought us over [to the South Amboy Police Department] together.”
O’Leary then administered the oath of office to the new captain, with his wife Jane by his side. Earlier this summer, Jane Matarangolo was promoted to the rank of lieutenant in the East Brunswick Police Department.
Matarangolo spoke briefly after being sworn in, thanking the city and others who have supported his success, including Jane, who, he joked, “put up with me all this time.”
LaVigne, who was promoted to his role as chief in June, explained after the ceremony that the new tradition is “a way to commemorate a very special occasion,” adding that it takes a lot of effort by an officer to rise in the police ranks.
“It makes them a much better officer,” he said, adding that the promotion benefits the city as well.
As part of the ceremony, LaVigne had a booklet made up and available to all at the standing-room-only event that kicked off the regular council meeting. The handout summarized Matarangolo’s career, which started in 1986 in the county parks police. He came to South Amboy two years later. In 1994, he was named to the detective bureau and became a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) instructor. He was promoted to sergeant in 1998 and lieutenant in 2007. His newest assignment as captain includes responsibilities over the uniformed patrol division, the detective bureau and civilian staff members.
City Councilman William Schwarick, who has a background in public safety as a former Secret Service agent, said the promotion was “well deserved.” He also reiterated LaVigne’s comment about the amount of work required to receive a promotion.
“It takes a lot to get there — a lot of expenses out of your own pocket,” he said.
LaVigne also had nothing but praise for his new captain.
“I have witnessed the caliber of officer that Matarangolo has been,” LaVigne said. “He is exactly what an officer should be.”