Cop Shop Feeling the Byrne in Ridley Park
That old saying “like father, like son” echoed throughout the Ridley Park Borough Council chambers Tuesday night as Tom Byrne Jr. was sworn in as a fulltime police officer.
Not only was Byrne, 34, fulfilling a years-long goal, he was following in the footsteps of his father, Tom Byrne Sr., who was a borough police officer for 24 ½ years, the last 10 ½ as chief.
Byrne Jr. was initially hired by the department as a parttimer the day after his father in December 2012. He’s also worked as a part time officer in Eddystone. He plans to transition from his current professional fire fighting position with the Boeing Fire Department, a career he began at age 19 and earned his way up to captain of C platoon, to the new job.
“I’ve wanted to be a full-time police officer ever since my parttime hiring in Ridley Park because I always wanted to police the town in which I was born and raised, and follow my dad’s footsteps,” Byrne Jr. said.
“I’m glad he’s getting what he wants. They need good people in law enforcement and Tom is good person,” his dad said.
Still, Byrne Sr. worries about him, as well as son Steven, who is a corporal with the Chester Police Department. Son John is a career firefighter with the Tinicum Township Fire Co., as well as volunteer chief of Vauclain Fire Co. Byrne Jr. also serves as Tinicum’s deputy fire chief.
“It’s tough today. It’s not like it was when I started,” Byrne Sr. said.
Byrne Jr. agrees, but noted that his father and mother, Marge, raised their sons to be street smart – a handy attribute for their chosen professions.
But his father’s concerns are not lost on Byrne Jr. He remembers a few anxious mornings growing up, knowing his father had been out on a call most of the night.
“The goals remains for me retired a and my brothers, at the end of our shifts, to come home safe,” Byrne Jr. said.
Byrne Jr. was sworn in by Ridley Park Mayor Hank Eberle. The officer’s wife of six years, Tricia, held the Bible.
Family, both by blood and badge, turned out in support. There were fellow officers on hand from numerous departments including Ridley Township, Eddystone, Tinicum, Darby Borough, Norwood, Folcroft, Prospect Park, Radnor, Upper Darby and Chester, as well as the Delaware County Sheriff’s office.
Byrne Jr. said his father passed on his patrol badge when he was named a part-time officer. He’ll continue carrying it in his wallet as he enters this new phase of his career, he said.
His first full time shift is Monday, day work.
According to Ridley Park Police Chief Robert Frazier, Byrne Jr. was named to a temporary, one-year, full-time slot on the police force, officially filling in for a full-time officer who is on indefinite medical leave.
“If the officer comes back, council has the option to furlough Tom or keep him on, depending on staffing needs,” Frazier said Wednesday.
Counting Byrne, Frazier said the department now has 11 fulltime officers and six part-time officers.
Starting salary for full time officers is about $60,000 plus benefits, Frazier said.
Today, the Delaware County’s SWAT teams are participating in a challenge and training competition that tests the physical, technical and decision making skills required in critical operations and increase performance in a controlled environment. The teams will compete against each other in multiple obstacle course challenges, as well as hand gun, rifle and sniper shooting in long range and scenarios.
The event kicks off at 8 a.m. at the Delaware County Emergency Services Center in Darby Township. At the conclusion of the competition an awards ceremony will be held and the District Attorney Jack Whelan will present team and individual trophies. On Saturday, Borough police officerdown a former Darby officer who recently retired from the Marine Corps after a long and distinguished career will be honored as a hometown hero.
Lt. Gen. Ronald S. Coleman will have the street on which he was raised in the borough, 10th Street, named after him. The ceremony will be held at noon at the intersection of 10th Street and Ridge Avenue.
Coleman is only the second African American to retire from the Marines as a threestar general, said Police Chief Robert Smythe, who of the event.
According to Smythe, Coleman was a member of the police department in the mid1970s. is an organizer