AMERICAN POLICE HALL OF FAME & MUSEUM

A few months back the wife and I had the occasion to visit Cocoa Beach, Fl.  We had a week at a nice hotel directly on the beach looking at the Atlantic Ocean, the Sun, and the Sand. One day there was no Sun or Sand to enjoy so we took a little ride to the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum. It was years since our last visit and gave us another nice day despite the weather. The building above is the museum pictured from the parking lot.

One of the first displays that you see after paying your ticket (yes there is a law enforcement discount) is a series of old Police Cars. This Black & White is a 1956 Ford in mint condition.

This is a 9-11 display. The twin towers list the names of fallen officers. At the base are remnants of rubble from the two buildings, concrete, rebar, and a piece of the airplane that crashed into the buildings's side.

 

The colorful circle at the base contains the patches from New York City Police, The NY-NJ Port Authority Police and the NYC Fire Dept. 

Below is a close up of several names of officers who perished that day. One name was a friend.

This display is simple, but an extremely emotional reminder of the terror attack on our Country on September 11, 2001.

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I am not sure if this was Lady Liberty, but I did like that she was holding the Red, White & Blue. That lifted my spirits.

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There are many fire arms displayed in the museum. This reminded me of one that I used to own so naturally I had to take this picture.

Over on the right is a reconstructed jail cell for two tenants.

Underneath is a Bad Dude (me) getting his new Prison attire. I decided to keep my Florida shirt and move on.

                                       *****                                            In another section of the Museum there are historical pieces of the means of Execution.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Above is an Electric Chair. You can sit in it for a picture. It's safe as it is not plugged in. I chose not to sit.

The picture to the right is the 

GUILLOTINE.

It is a quite quick and efficient method of carrying out an execution. The blade is sharp and weighted to complete the job in a single movement. Note the basket used to catch the fallen head.

The picture, to the left and below are methods of Restraining Prisoners.

To the left is  a Chair with Wheels. The prisoner was secured to this device and then wheeled to wherever he was needed.

The Stocks is the subject of the picture below. There are no wheels on this device as the prisoner was not intended to go anywhere. He just stood with his/her head and hands in the appropriate holes and locked in place.

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The next two pictures here show a blend of old technology and newer tech.

The yellow machine is a robotic bomb defuser operated by the officer, in the heavy outfit, to the rear. If you see him run then you better run too.

The thing below is a lantern used by police officers, and others back in the day. It is the forerunner of the "flashlight."  The models that followed the pictured item had a retractable cover over the lens. A squeeze of a handle control opened the cover and allowed light to flash out - hence flashlight.

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The visit here was a nice diversion from the (absent) Florida Sun. I enjoyed it and worked up a good appetite for some cold shrimp and beer. You got to try it.

NEWARK PD - WALLET BADGE

Shown here is another "Unique Badge" that I have. It clearly reads: NEWARK POLICE # 1320. The problem is this item is not correct. It was not issued by the N.P.D.

Even though the shape is (90%) OK, and the Seal is perfectly stamped this is believed to be an Officer's "2nd or wallet badge." It was probably made by Buchlien & Sons at the request of the Officer.

Two areas that stand out, at least to my eyes are: The State Seal. On a Newark Badge there is no Seal. A distinctive Eagle Stands above the Number Box. That Eagle is iconic (my opinion) on Newark Badges.

The Number Box is the next tell that there is somethin wrong with this Badge. While it looks just like the number box used on many NJ Badges it is not the same on a true Newark item. The N.P.D. trims (if that is the right word) their number boxes with Pillars.

My pictured Badge is displayed, but at a distance from the true Newark PD Officer Badge. I like it, but only a little bit. You just can't beat the real thing !

OBSOLETE COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENTS: MONMOUTH

 

Happy New Year. I am continuing the monthly post regarding my collection of Defunct New Jersey Probation Badges. There are 21 counties in the Garden State and I have been trying for well over 30 years to obtain at least one badge for each county.

To start 2026 I will display badges from Monmouth County and the full collection in this post.

Starting at the top you will see two giant, silver tone badges with an Eagle on top. They both have recessed, with enamel fill, letters that read: PROBATION, MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ. In the center is a multi color seal which was introduced in the late 1960's.

These Badges were gifted to me shortly after the State took over all County Departments and created a single agency. They have been in my collection roughly 28 years.

In addition the last picture above shows all the Probation Officer Badges in my Collection. I still need a few, but I am quite happy with the total to date. All of these badges are in Oak display cases and have a prominent place in my office. I'm very happy to have them. 

I collect N.J."County" Probation Officer Badges, so if you have one that you would like to move on please contact me:       jerseychief@gmail.com

2026 HAS ARRIVED !!!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR

TO

MY FAMILY & FELLOW

BADGE COLLECTORS

HAVE A GREAT 2026

***

MEMORIES OF MY FATHER

As I search my mind I do recall several memories of my Dad. Looking through my Collection of Newark Memorabilia  I see a couple of pieces that jolt that gray matter on a daily basis.

I will address one memory that reminds me of those nights I tried to do homework, with my Dad nearby practicing  his clarinet in the next room.

What a screech came from that instrument. This was the basis for opposing viewpoints. Dad did not appreciate Duane Eddy and his rebel sound.  I thought Dad's clarinet had a twangy sound, and that caused us to have  many sound discussions.

My father was more into music for marching bands. He loved the sound of John Phillip Sousa. I kinda liked that sound too, but I could never say so.

Dad joined the Newark Police Band around 1940. He remained a member of the Band until City Budget Cuts forced its' disbandment in the mid 1950's. At the time my father was the Commander of the Newark Police and Fire Band. He is in the middle of the pictured three Band Officers. The top picture is the Band around 1940.

During his command the Organization performed for our Veterans, and marched in various parades in multiple different cities. One year, in Asbury Park, NJ my Dad hired a professional Twirler to march directly in front of Drum Major. That gave the Band a great new look, and yes I did appreciate that.

The badges shown in this post are a Very Rare set. They look identical, but if you read them closely you will see one badge is marked "Police," but the fraternal twin badge is identified as "FIRE."

I recall my father had a brown paper bag stored in our attic. I checked it out one day and saw it was nothing of great interest. It was just about a dozen or more Police & Fire Band badges. As I look at the two in my collection I think I changed my mind about viewing these badges as "nothing of great interest."

Almost daily these fine badges kindle memories of Newark, My Father, and the NEWARK POLICE & FIRE BAND. So you see these badges serve a Collectors Purpose and a deep Personal Purpose. 

OBSOLETE COUNTY PROBATION DEPARTMENTS: MERCER

This Badge is a beautiful gold tone Sunburst Design. It  is from  Mercer County Probation. This item is a nice fit in my collection. I have had it for over 25 years.

It is identified as the "Chief's Badge" with the # 1 on the small panel on the bottom.

This Badge is in excellent condition and looks like it was just made. It certainly belongs in this collection. The "County" is identified and stands out in Blue Enamel filled letters as "Mercer County".

Even though this is a "County" Badge it uses a State Seal. The use of the Multicolor State Seal on these badges started in the late 1960's.

As noted in earlier posts I collect "County" Probation Officer Badges, so if you have one that you would like to move on please contact me:       jerseychief@gmail.com

A Note From Our Family

Dennis with his prized possession -- The Newark Star

From our family, I am heartbroken to share that Dennis passed away early on November 23. We were fortunate to be with him, listening to the stories behind his collection and a playlist of songs that meant almost as much to him. We take comfort in knowing he has found peace.

This blog, his collection, and the community he built around his hobby meant so much to him. Thank you for your contributions and shared enthusiasm. It brought him such joy and kept him going.

Please enjoy the remaining posts that he scheduled out a bit into the future to keep the blog going. And once again, thank you all for being such an important part of his world. 👼🏼 🙏🏻