Retired Cop, Hockey Champs Honored at Council Meeting

The Township Council took time to honor a recently retired police officer and two local street-hockey teams that won national championships in May before getting down to business at its meeting Monday night.

Gloucester Township Special Police Officer Edward Cunane has called it quits after 28 years with the police force—the bulk of which he served the township as a Class II police officer.

Police Chief W. Harry Earle presented Cunane with a plaque commemorating his nearly 30 years with the police force.

Special police serve a number of functions, including traffic control, building and event security, and crowd control at special events.

"Ed really helped build the Gloucester Township Special Police program," Earle said. "It is what it is today because of the many years Ed has done here at the . There are other police agencies that look at our Special Police program and ask for what we do and how we do it because of all the work that Ed has done for it."

Cunane, whose retirement took effect June 1, joined the police department as a special officer in 1983, then gained his Class II status while finishing second in his class at Burlington County Police Academy in 1987. He was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1974.

Cunane is the only special officer in the police department's history to receive its Commendation of Merit, Earle said. The award recognized Cunane's efforts to save a child from a house fire on Aug. 20, 2008.

Cunane is the father of Gloucester Township Police Det. Patrick Cunane and Camden County Sheriff's Officer Kevin Cunane.

"Your life is about service, whether it was your time in the military and defending our country or defending our residents over the last 28 years," Mayor David Mayer said.

Council President Glen Bianchini and Mayer recognized the coaches and boys who play for the Gloucester Township Hockey Alliance Panthers' Beaver "A" and Cadet "B" teams for winning championships at their levels during the National Street Hockey Association Tournament in Egg Harbor Township on May 8.

"What that does for our community is indescribable," Bianchini said. "For those young individuals to go and win national tournaments and have people say 'Gloucester Township,' they put us on the map not only in New Jersey but across the country, so we appreciate that."

A proclamation signed by Bianchini and Mayer declared June 13, 2011, a day to honor both teams.

During Monday's meeting, Earle and Community Relations Unit Sgt. Brendan Barton and Cpl. Sean Grannon presented certificates to 22 of 24 recent graduates of the police department's 2011 Citizens Police Academy, including Councilwoman Michelle Gentek.

Each graduate spent two hours over 10 Thursdays getting certified in CPR and learning about the police department's many functions.

In addition to Gentek and Mayer aide and Democratic Assembly candidate Gabriela Mosquera, the following people graduated from the academy and were presented certificates at Monday's meeting: Brian Andress, Dena Barta, To'Nyah Davis, Thomas Durham, Sarah Dziunycz, Samantha Emdur, Patrick Flanagan, Thomas Haas, Brandon Isele, Ryan Kosak, Ron Kurczewski, Allyson Mahoney, Daniel Martinez, Jill Maser, Vincent McCormick, Dennystor Nieves, Christina Ponce, Kristopher Ponce, Daniel Szorati and Nohman Zia.

Cody Heino and Susan Heino are 2011 graduates who did not attend Monday's meeting.