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Hundreds turn out for police chief's retirement party

| 07 Oct 2013 | 05:43
    Photo by Chris Wyman Standing by the grill with Chief Roy Wherry are three of his four children who were raised in Vernon. From the left are his daughter Jaime Wherry, and his twin sons Bob and Pat Wherry. Not shown is his daughter Jeanne Emmerich.
    Photo by Chris Wyman Standing by the grill with Chief Roy Wherry are three of his four children who were raised in Vernon. From the left are his daughter Jaime Wherry, and his twin sons Bob and Pat Wherry. Not shown is his daughter Jeanne Emmerich.
    PHOTO BY CHRIS WYMAN Retired Wanaque Police Chief Jack Reno, left, and Little Falls Police Chief John Dmuchowski of the Passaic County Police Chief's Association present Vernon Township Police Chief Roy Wherry with an award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police that was engraved "In Honor of Your Outstanding Career in Law Enforcement, Congratulations on Your Retirement."
    PHOTO BY CHRIS WYMAN Retired Wanaque Police Chief Jack Reno, left, and Little Falls Police Chief John Dmuchowski of the Passaic County Police Chief's Association present Vernon Township Police Chief Roy Wherry with an award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police that was engraved "In Honor of Your Outstanding Career in Law Enforcement, Congratulations on Your Retirement."
    Photo by Chris Wyman An award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police that was engraved ìIn Honor of Your Outstanding Career in Law Enforcement, Congratulations on Your Retirement.î
    Photo by Chris Wyman An award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police that was engraved ìIn Honor of Your Outstanding Career in Law Enforcement, Congratulations on Your Retirement.î

VERNON — Drivers on Breakneck Road seldom notice the parking lot of the Highland Lakes Clubhouse filled to capacity.

However, last Sunday there was not a spot to be found with cars overflowing into the Vernon Ambulance Squad’s parking area.

The occasion was the retirement party for outgoing Vernon Township Police Chief Roy Wherry. Standing at the grill cooking hotdogs and hamburgers in the lightly falling drizzle were past Vernon Township council president and current councilman Brian Lynch and Vernon Mayor Victor Marotta, who volunteered to do the “dirty work” of cooking for hundreds of hungry guests.

According to Marotta, when the invited guest list for the retirement party reached 420 names, a decision was made to stop counting those who planned to attend.

Guests also included current and former area police department officers and members of law enforcement from distant towns. Retired Wanaque Police Chief Jack Reno and current Little Falls Police Chief John Dmuchowski of the Passaic County Police Chief’s Association presented Wherry with an award from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police that was engraved “In Honor of Your Outstanding Career in Law Enforcement. Congratulations on Your Retirement.”

Inside the clubhouse, both the Lake Room and the main and side meeting rooms were filled to capacity with many dozens of tables and a 20-foot-plus long buffet table. The afternoon also included multiple tables with a wide variety of desserts including a special police chief’s retirement cake created by the chief’s daughter Jeanne Emmerich.

Rather than his official white police uniform, Wherry sported a gray New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police polo shirt and blue shorts and sneakers as he mixed and mingled with the hundreds of well-wishers who turned out to offer their congratulations. Nearly the entire Township Council attended as well as members of several of the town’s boards and departments.

Wherry’s official retirement will take place at the Vernon Township Municipal Center on Nov. 1. At that time, incoming Vernon Township Police Chief Randy Mills will take the helm. A November Township Council meeting has been scheduled to include honoring the chief for his years of service to Vernon. Wherry has been only the third chief in the history of the department. Wherry is a 1975 graduate of the Essex County Police Academy.

Wherry was also recently honored by Sussex County Community College’s Criminal Justice Club for his contributions to the Criminal Justice Program at the college.