Five Questions With Bergen County's 1st Female Police Chief

Capt. Cathy Madalone will make history Sept. 1 when she becomes the first chief of police in the Bergenfield Police Department’s history.

Madalone was hired as the department’s first female police officer in August 1994. She spoke with Patch Wednesday about her career and the bit of history she will make in a few weeks.

Why did you choose to become a police officer?

I was working at Riewerts Memorial Funeral Home in Bergenfield one night and saw a colleague and his friends filling out an application to become a police officer. (She had filled out an application to work for the New York Police Department a few years earlier but hadn’t heard back.) I’ve always been a person who likes to help people. I’ve loved it from day one. I love my job.

Is it difficult being a woman in a male-dominated profession?

I have not had any difficulty at all. I think that it depends on the individual person. I’ve never let my gender come into play at any venue, ever.

What do you most like about interacting with the public?

The children, absolutely. They say whatever is on their minds. Good or bad, whatever it is, they say it.

What is the biggest difference from being a captain to being a chief?

I’m currently the officer in charge now so there’s no one I can look to to ask ‘Hey, it this okay?’ I’m making the decision and people are coming to me with everything, which is fine. I like to collaborate with others and give the people I work with a voice. I have an excellent captain too.

What are you most looking forward to with your new position?

I’d like to incorporate some programs in the community and bring back a chaplain program to the department. In the event that we have an incident like Ferguson and Baltimore, we will have a partnership where we can reach out to congregants in the community.

I’ve very into community. I really just want to bolster all the relationship that we’ve formed. We have an amazing relationship with the Board of Education. They’re there for us and we’re there for them. Same thing with our fire department, ambulance corps, department of public works. We all help each other out in town.

What is your employment history with the department?

I was hired Aug. 8, 1994 and promoted to sergeant in August 2003. I was a patrol sergeant until September 2008 when I was promoted to lieutenant. I moved to command the traffic bureau in 2009. I was promoted to captain in August 2012.

(Pictured: Capt. Cathy Madalone and three recent graduates of the Bergenfield Junior Police Academy)