Town's New Top Cop Happy To Step Aside

As the Town of Bedford Police Department heads into its 100th year of service, it finds itself without a permanent leader. 

Since Chris Menzel stepped down from his position as chief of police this October, the department has been run by a longtime veteran of the force, Eddie Collins. His tenure as chief however, will be short lived.

Collins, a lieutenant who currently holds the title of provisional chief, has been with the department since 1970. A lot has changed since then. In those days, the police headquarters were located in the basement of the Bedford Town House and the size of the force was 28. Today, it is 39. The biggest change however, is in technology.

"We used to use carbon paper to type out reports," Collins recalled. "Everything is electronic now."

His experience, coupled with the fact that he is the only member of the department who meets the qualifications needed to serve as chief (each candidate must pass a test administered by the county), led outgoing chief Menzel to recommend him as the next chief. The Town Board unanimously approved his nomination.

"Being a lieutenant since 1997, I have worked very closely with the chief," Collins said. "I was exposed to a lot of what the job entails."

After 40 years of service, Collins is not interested in being chief long term, even with an increase in salary from a base of $113,000 to $130,000. He said he is happy to hand the mantle of chief to someone else, and get back to his role as lieutenant full time. He believes that time will come this spring.

"Well, the test is in March, and I think we have some good candidates. I have not set a timetable. Obviously, my time here is limited."

Despite that sentiment, he is anything but a lame duck. Since 1999, the department has achieved accreditation status through the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Program. Accreditation is achieved when the department meets some 130 standards of compliance, as set by the state.

Accreditation has been Collins' project from the start and he continues to oversee the program today. The state reassesses each department every five years, and the Bedford Police Department passed its second reassessment in July.

While Bedford doesn't come anywhere close to New York City in terms of its crime tally, there is no shortage of eventful moments.

Last September, Bedford made headlines when Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi chose to pitch his Bedouin tent on the  property of another well-known name—that of real estate mogul Donald Trump.

"He was never here," said Collins of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. "His people were here looking for a location for him to use for one night. As he was leaving New York City to come here, the tent [on Donald Trump's property] was deemed a dwelling, but they did not have permits for that. So, he turned around and went back to the city."

What if Gaddafi did come to Bedford?

"Chief Menzel told the powers that be we were not going to help him or his people in any way."

When asked about the most memorable criminal acts that have been perpetrated in the town since his arrival in 1970, Collins spoke of the Sperry-Frankel murders. "I think it was 1980. A group of guys from the city were working on a farm on West Patent. They broke into the Sperry home on Succabone, where they shot and killed a boy and an older woman. The next day we got a call from Mr. Frankel who was trying to reach his son at their residence on Succabone and Broadbrook. His son was dead."

It turns out the men burglarized the homes for drug money, and were all caught.

So what should the citizens of Bedford know about the police force, which is between leaders at the moment?

"This transition hasn't changed a thing," Collins contends. "We haven't missed a beat and we provide the same service we have always provided."