Maplewood’s memorial gathering for Police Chief Jimmy DeVaul today was filled with heart-rending moments and capped by a soaring farewell.
As members of the Maplewood Police Force, DeVaul’s family and community members continue to grapple with the sudden death of DeVaul, 53, police and officials from all over New Jersey came together on October 28 to give the “forward-thinking” and gregarious DeVaul a fitting tribute and sendoff.
In a procession led by a police motorcycle escort featuring officers from every corner of the state, a mounted police officer led a horse with backward boots in the stirrups. Following the hearse, Acting Maplewood Chief of Police Albert Sally carried DeVaul’s cap in his hands, followed by the entire MPD marching silently in their dress uniforms.
Acting Chief Al Sally carries DeVaul’s police cap. Photo by Joy Yagid.
At Maplewood Town Hall, ladder engines representing South Orange and Maplewood’s newly merged South Essex Fire Department held an enormous American flag aloft, and multiple police officials, the Essex County prosecutor and Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis offered moving tributes to the man who had worked to transform the police department since his elevation to chief in 2018.
Essex County Sherrif Armando Fontoura acknowledged the current work facing Maplewood and law enforcement agencies nationwide: “These are difficult times that we’re all facing, our communities are facing and those of us in law enforcement are challenged to meet those difficult times. I can only imagine that it must be a difficult time going on in heaven as well, ’cause God decided to reach down and take an outstanding law enforcement professional, a forward-thinking law enforcement professional, one who put duty above self, one who put his community above everything else. We all admired Chief DeVaul, all for the right reasons.”
Photo by Joy Yagid
“Being a cop means being at the right place at the right time and doing the right thing,” said Fontoura. “Jimmy DeVaul was an expert, he was the best at being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing.”
“We will miss you,’ added Fontoura, “but we assure you that, on your behalf, we will continue to do the good work that you did here for all the folks in the great town of Maplewood.”
Calling DeVaul “easy to talk to, approachable and relatable,” Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis also said DeVaul had done the serious work of leading a department that had been rocked by allegations of police brutality.
“Jimmy was appointed chief at a very tough time in our town’s history,” Mayor Dafis told the crowd. “We were in the throws of change. … After 24 years of existing law enforcement service, he leaned into change, embracing it, leading it, transforming our department into the stronger, accredited, professional, empathetic, united and diverse department that it is today.”
DeVaul’s widow Krista grasps his service flag. Photo by Joy Yagid.
“Jimmy was visionary, ahead of the curve, truly a change agent,” said Dafis.
Dafis relayed that, despite some profound disagreements, he and DeVaul had developed a mutual respect and friendship. After sharing an anecdote of his last encounter with DeVaul less than 24 hours before he fell ill, Dafis grew emotional, “And then we all separated and said goodnight. We never imagined it would be a permanent goodbye.”
In ending his remarks, Dafis addressed DeVaul directly: “Jimmy, thank you for always picking up my calls as I was driving back home from work in Trenton … and you stayed on the phone with me until I made it back home safely. Rest in peace, dear friend, you are now home.”
Dafis’s eulogy begins at the 35-second mark in the audio recording here:
After remarks and a flyover by a New Jersey State Police helicopter, Maplewood central dispatch did a radio call to the chief, with Acting Chief Albert Sally responding, “Chief DeVaul, end of watch. Thank you for your service, Chief.” Although the audio was hard to capture electronically, echoes of the call resounded on Valley Street as the radio signal emanated from both the speaker system and the fire trucks hoisting the flag.
DeVaul’s mourners then exited to the strains of bagpipers playing ‘Amazing Grace.’
Photos by Joy Yagid:
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