This beautiful Riverside, NJ Badge is an example of a picture conveying a thousand words, none the less I'll tell you about what you can't see here.
Riverside is the last "Chief Badge" that I have placed in my "Jersey Chief Collection." In addition to the "Chief's" housed in this single display, I have a handful of others in different display groups. One is in a "Rank Set" from Ft. Lee. The Second, of course, is in my number one favorite collection, Newark, N.J.
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Now back to The Riverside Chief. It's home is a Township located on the banks of the Delaware River. That River is New Jersey's Western border. It also explains the origin of the name the new township took, when created in 1895.
Riverside is a small township, and has less then two square miles. In that area there is a population of 8000 +/- citizens.
The Community has a Police Force of roughly twenty men and woman. This department is a pioneer in Community Policing, and has been very successful in keeping their Citizens safe.
This Badge, obtained from another collector recently, dates back 40-50 years. It is a basic Eagle/Oval with four panels. In the panels are the identifiers: Chief, Police, Riverside, NJ. At the center point is a multi-color State Seal. It looks quite nice and keeps this badge looking sharp. Overall it is a fifty year old item.
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With The Riverside Chief taking its' place with the remainder of my Jersey Chief's Collection, one will see a core of traditional shaped NJ Chief Badges. They are from Leonia, Jersey City, and Hoboken, NJ.
Reserved for the Top Guy they blend: a Sunburst, an Eagle, and, of course, Stars. The mores "Stars" the greater a badge's significance to its' owner.
Interestingly the badges with Five Stars are the above "Fort Lee, NJ", and the badge shown in the core group from Leonia, NJ. One would have expected that honor to go to Newark, but the "Police Director" is the "Guy" with five stars in that City.
The "Core Group" Badges are pictured below.
Of the above three badges, The Jersey City Chief, and Hoboken Chief of Detectives have "three stars" respectfully. While really not a Department Head, the Hoboken Badge, is deserving of its' spot in this core group. It is quite rare.
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The balance of my Jersey Chief Collection is made up with the following fine pieces of historic treasure. For the most part there are no stars on these badges. There are three exceptions. Two of these exceptions have four stars, and one has two stars. They are displayed in alphabetical order.
