BY: Keith S. Shikowitz, Investigative Reporter
“Nature abhors a vacuum.” This was a quote from the movie Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. The retirement of Haverstraw Police Chief Peter Murphy on June 24, 2024, created a vacuum in the leadership of the department. On June 25, 2024, that vacuum was filled with the promotion of Captain John Gould to Chief.
The promotion ceremony was held at the Haverstraw Town Hall and was opened with the Rockland County Emerald Society playing the Marine Hymn. Haverstraw Town Supervisor Howard Phillips read the proclamation appointing Gould to the position of Chief.
“The Town Board of the Town of Haverstraw hereby appoints John J. Gould Junior of Stony Point New York to the position of Police Chief for the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, effective June 25, 2024, and is subject to all the rules and regulations of Civil Service.”
“The Town Board of the Town of Haverstraw hereby appoints John J. Gould Junior of Stony Point New York to the position of Police Chief for the Town of Haverstraw Police Department, effective June 25, 2024, and is subject to all the rules and regulations of Civil Service.”
Town Clerk Raquel Ventura gave the oath of office to Gould. Phillips gave the podium to Gould.
“Thank you. I would like to start off by thanking Supervisor Phillips, the town board, who had the confidence in me and trusting me with this position. I will continue to do my very best to ensure the safety and quality of life for all our residents. My goal is not only to keep people safe but to make them feel safe. This is a tremendous responsibility, and again I want to thank you for your confidence and support of me personally and in the police department as a whole and I look forward to working with you every day. Thank you.”
He continued, “I want to thank all of the elected officials, members of the community, fellow law enforcement professionals for taking the time out of your busy schedules to come here tonight. It really means a lot to me and I appreciate it.”
“Thank you to the Police Honor Guard for opening the ceremony tonight. The Honor Guard continues to shine in a positive way in ceremonies and celebrations in Rockland County and tonight was no exception. Their professionalism, attention to detail, and dedication stands true to the goals of our department.”
“I want to thank retired Chief Murphy and Charley Miller for their for their guidance throughout the years. They gave me a strong foundation to build upon and continue to follow the high standards they put in place. Thank you both for being here tonight.
I always knew I wanted to be a police officer. People always joked around and said that the show Blue Bloods was about my family. My grandfather Hank was a retired detective from the Town of Clarkstown. My father started with the Haverstraw PD and retired after thirty years on the job, finishing with the Rockland County DA’s office.
Not many people know this but I started working for the Haverstraw Police Department when I was in high school as a part time clerk. Howard Phillips hired me back then and the time I spent working here really solidified that this is what I wanted to do. I went to Marist College and continued working at the police station when I came home for break. I knew I was going to have to wait a few years before I could take the Rockland Country Police exam. I took every test I could for practice.
He continued going over his career and accomplishments and ended by thanking various people for their help and friendship over his career.
On Monday June 24, 2024, Gould explained how he was going to administrate in his tenure as Chief.