Officer hires, lieutenant promotion add to WLPD’s strengths

WOODCLIFF LAKE—Over the past 15 months, most recently in early July, the Woodcliff Lake Police Department has welcomed four police officers to its ranks and celebrated the promotion of a new lieutenant on the force.

On May 4, the department celebrated the promotion of Det. Sgt. Chad Malloy to lieutenant, at a ceremony officiated by Mayor Carlos Rendo and Police Chief John Burns.

PO Daniel Muñoz, hired on April 1, 2020, is a graduate of Dominican College, where he earned a bachelor of arts in criminal justice. He was a Special Officer Class I for the Cliffside Park Police Department and attended the Camden County College Police Academy as an alternate route candidate, graduating in December 2019.

PO Tara Tamburro, hired on July 1, 2020, is a dean’s list graduate of Monmouth University, where she earned a bachelor of science in health studies. Before attending the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute, from which she graduated on June 17, 2021, she was a nursing assistant for a doctor’s office. She also served on both the Hillsdale and Tri-Boro volunteer ambulance corps since 2015.

PO Erik Wegner, hired on June 1, 2021, is a graduate of Bergen Community College and William Patterson University, where he earned his associates and bachelor’s degrees in media production. Wegner was a dispatcher for the Englewood Police Department and attended the Morris County Police Academy as an alternate route candidate, graduating on July 16, 2020. He also served as a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and auxiliary police officer for the Borough of Emerson.

PO Matthew Sabbagh, hired July 1, 2021, is a dean’s list graduate of Montclair State University, where he earned a bachelor of arts in psychology. Sabbagh served as a dispatcher for the Washington Township Police Department and as a court security officer for the Rochelle Park Court before attending the Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute as an alternate route candidate and graduating on June 17, 2021. He is multilingual.

Burns told Pascack Press, “We’re thrilled to have such outstanding and diverse new officers serving our community for many years to come.”