Capt. Seltenrich to Take Over as Chief of Franklin Lakes Police

Capt. Joseph Seltenrich will be taking over as chief of the department on February 1.

Seltenrich, who has been a Franklin Lakes police officer for 35 years, will be replacing Public Safety Director Irving Conklin as the head of the department. Conklin was hired as the part-time director after he retired from being the full-time chief last year. 

Police Lt. John Bakelaar, the department's public information officer, said he believed Seltenrich deserved the promotion.

“He's always been very dedicated and devoted to his job, and I can't think of anybody who deserves it more,” Bakelaar said. “I'm very confident that every member of the police department is looking forward to his promotion.”

Seltenrich was scheduled to be formally promoted on January 17, though he will not take over until February 1.

According to Ramsey Police Chief and former Bergen County Police Chiefs Association President Bryan Gurney, police directors do not have all of the powers that a chief does because they are not technically police officers. Even routine police tasks, such as making a traffic stop or an arrest, are prohibited for directors.

Borough Administrator Gregory Hart told Patch that the department will not be promoting another officer to captain to replace Seltenrich or hiring any additional officers. They did hire a new officer last fall, but Hart said it was unrelated to Seltenrich's promotion.