The History of the West Orange Police Department is Chronicled in a New Book

WEST ORANGE, N.J. - Sept. 27, 2016 - PRLog -- John Dandola, the author, screenwriter, and playwright, who is also a local historian for his hometown of West Orange, New Jersey, has announced that he just completed a history of its police department. He is already known for his history of the fire department along with his two formal histories of the town itself.

The police history came about after Dandola recently gifted framed photographs of all the chiefs to both the police and fire departments. From there, the real impetus was that the current police chief, James P. Abbott, will be celebrating his twentieth anniversary in that position as of January 20017 and it seemed an appropriate gesture since the author and the chief have been acquainted since childhood.

"He's not only a neighborhood guy, his values are very real and old-fashioned and the department has blossomed under his leadership," Dandola explains. "It's a proud thing to know him."

The book will be published by the Quincannon Publishing Group, with whom Dandola has a longtime professional association. The entire project is completely independent from the municipality of West Orange.

"That's always the best route to go," the author explains, "since West Orange politicians have a penchant for altering historic facts. I don't write infomercials."

With a debut set for January, the 92-page book specifically details the beginnings of the police department. In fact, in his mystery novel, Dead in Small Doses, Dandola went to great lengths to solve the 1884 cold case which led directly the department's founding and he supplies an abridged version of that solution in this volume.

What has most pleased and gratified the author is that the police department has been nothing but appreciative of his efforts on their behalf. "Such simple things as a heartfelt 'thank you' make it worthwhile to have expended the tremendous amount of time it takes to do this kind of research," he admits. "The police department is the only municipal department that's ever thanked me in the lifetime of work I've done for this town. Not only did they thank me but they even gave me an engraved award of recognition. I was absolutely stunned. It was so unexpected that they'll never know how appreciative I am."

When asked if there is any other municipal department that might warrant his attention for a book, Dandola replied, "I had hoped to write a history of the town pool for the recreation department. I went from being the youngest and longest-running lifeguard to the assistant manager of that pool, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary next year. I know all the details about its founding and all the behind-the-scenes stories. I have all of the photographs and even illustrations I did during all the years I worked there..."

To read the full press release and for order information visit http://www.johndandola.com/WOPD-HistoryBook_PR.html