Gloucester County Police Museum honors four fallen officers

The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, June 14

Three New Jersey State Police Troopers and an officer of the Delaware River and Bay Authority will receive a permanent place on plaques in the Police Museum of the Gloucester County Law Enforcement Educational Resource Center.

A ceremony to mark the four additions to the museum, to which families of the officers have been invited, is scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 14.

The officers to be honored are Troopers Sean E. Cullen, Eli McCarson and Anthony R. Fotiou of the New Jersey State Police and Patrolman Vincent A. Julia of the Delaware River and Bay Authority. They either lived in Gloucester County and lost their life on duty elsewhere, or were fatally injured on patrol in the county.

“The Gloucester County Law Enforcement Museum honors police officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of their communities,” said county prosecutor Sean F. Dalton. “It also preserves the rich legacy of the men and women serving in Gloucester County who have helped keep our streets safe over the years.”

The museum is located within the library of Rowan College at Gloucester County, formerly Gloucester County College, located at 1400 Tanyard Road, Deptford Township.

The evening’s keynote speaker will be James Plousis, chairman of the state Parole Board, former state U.S. Marshal and former Cape May County Sheriff. The State Police Pipe Band will open the ceremony and the Glassboro Police Department Honor Guard will present the colors. Refreshments will be served.

Since its opening in May 2015, the museum’s mission has been to educate the public about law enforcement in Gloucester County through exhibits of documents, photographs, police equipment and uniforms as well as video presentations. A “Wall of Honor” is dedicated to officers who have lost their lives in police work since 1932.

Law enforcement “firsts” are recognized in the museum — the county’s first female police chief, the first police dispatcher and others. A new addition here will be the late Michael S. Curwin and his wife Audrey, the first husband and wife to serve as first assistant prosecutor in a New Jersey county prosecutor’s office. Another will be the police chiefs of Woolwich and Paulsboro, Russell and Vernon Marino. They were the first father and son to serve as chief simultaneously until Russell’s retirement.

New exhibits — the history of the Clayton Police Department, the story of the county’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit and profiles of cold case homicides that are still under investigation — will debut at the June 14 ceremony.

Museum hours from fall through spring are Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. During the summer, the museum is open Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For guided tours of groups of five or more, please schedule in advance by calling (856) 384–5534.

Donations can be made to support the non-profit Gloucester County Law Enforcement Educational Resource Center at P.O. Box 446, Woodbury, N.J. 08096.