Sheriff Froehlich Stands Tall

Sheriff Froehlich Stands Tall

By Joe Renna

I first met Sheriff Froehlich when I was 12 years old. He was coaching my PAL football team, the Elizabeth Packers. He was very involved in community service which offered me many opportunities to run into him. He had an uncanny ability to relate to everyone he met on an individual basis. He did not merely make small talk but spoke with genuine concern and attention to whomever he met. Just as he remembered everyone, he is also unforgettable.

Ralph Froehlich has been the Union County Sheriff for 26 years and if my research serves me well, he is the longest serving sheriff in the history of Union County. His record is remarkable. Law enforcement is his life and he demonstrates a passion for those who choose the profession. He has a deep respect for men and women who wear a badge. He is always cognitive of their willingness to sacrifice their own well-being for the safety of others.

I could hear the pride in his voice whenever he speaks about one of his officers. He speaks of the accomplishments of the men and women who serve under him like a proud father. Pinning a citation on a young officer is as rewarding to him as it is for the recipient. The only thing that may eclipse the sheriff's passion for his officers is the love and respect he shows to war veterans. I heard him speak at ceremonies and memorials honoring our vets and his words are always heartfelt and sincere. He is an eloquent and forceful speaker. Froehlich's a tough guy but I've witnessed, on more than one occasion, his voice cracking and his eyes welling up when he speaks of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country.

As sheriff, Froehlich must make life and death decisions. He does not take this responsibility lightly. The safety record of his department is a tribute to his leadership. He attributes his success on the job to his experience and believes the men and women serving under him deserve someone with law enforcement experience to ensure that they are getting the best support possible to minimize the risk they take every day. This has been the theme in many of his campaigns. Sheriff Froehlich has been elected to the three year term eight times.

Sheriff Froehlich stood by his record and his experience time and time again. He was especially critical of candidates that opposed him who had no law enforcement experience whatsoever. The voters agreed with him. I sat through his last two debates where he made his argument, and I agree, which is why it is very hard for me to believe that he would have created the new position of Undersheriff and fill it with someone with no law enforcement experience. The only reasoning that I could figure is that it wasn't his doing, which would be a disservice to his great legacy.

Sheriff Froehlich is not young. This may very well be his last election. I believe his party bosses are counting on it. What would happen if Sheriff Froehlich retires mid term? Would the democratic power brokers appoint his undersheriff the new sheriff? It is a calculated affair that the Union County Democratic Committee orchestrated as a reward for a political operative. What it is, is a slap in the face to Sheriff Froehlich, a man who has dedicated his life to his vocation and has been loyal to his political party.

These turn of events must pain the Sheriff. He deserves much better. The new leadership of the Union County Democratic Party has tightened the circle of their power and distanced themselves from their rank and file supporters, and are now whittling away at the long time stalwarts, like Sheriff Froehlich, who were responsible for the parties fading greatness.

In the twilight of his long and distinguished career, I hope the Sheriff can muster the passion to challenge the pressure that his political party has exerted on him. The county should do away this third undersheriff position or at least allow Sheriff Froehlich to pick a person to fill the position whom he could be proud of, someone he can introduce to his officers with dignity.

Sheriff Froehlich has more character than all his party bosses combined. If any has the right to thumb their nose at a cheap political maneuver, it is Sheriff Froehlich, especially when it comes to law enforcement. He owes it to the residents of the county who voted for him. He owes it to the men and women who trust him. Most of all he owes it to himself. He's earned it.