When Carol Cook was growing up in Guttenberg, she always had aspirations to become a police officer. There was only one problem. Her hometown had never had a female member of the police force.
“It was something I always wanted,” Cook said. “But the opportunity never came along.”
Cook went on to North Bergen High School, where she became one of the greatest athletes in the school’s history. She set all kinds of softball records as both a pitcher and a hitter, many of which still remain some 15 years after she graduated. Cook was inducted into the Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame last year.
After thinking, albeit briefly, about a career in the military, Cook took a job working for United Parcel Service, first as a driver for six years, then as a supervisor for five more. But Cook found the career very unfulfilling.
“I was burned out,” Cook said. “I couldn’t do it anymore. It was getting to be too much for me.”
Realistically, Cook had given up all practical thought of being a police officer.
“I thought the opportunity had passed me by,” said the 32-year-old Cook. “There was a waiting list to even take the Civil Service test. I didn’t think I had a shot.”
However, Guttenberg Mayor David Delle Donna was always thinking about hiring a female police officer and had Cook in mind.
“I thought Carol would be a great fit,” Delle Donna said. “We talked about it for quite some time, and this time, it worked out well.”
Cook finally realized her dream last Monday, when she was officially sworn in as Guttenberg’s first ever full-time female police officer. The town has employed women as special officers before, but Cook is the first to earn the police badge.
“I guess there has to be a first for everything,” said Cook, who will spend the next five months at the Bergen County Police Academy in Mahwah. Cook begins her assignment at the academy Jan. 27. “It really is an honor to be the first.”
Two other officers were also hired and sworn into duty last Monday. Gary Boesch, a former Guttenberg police officer who resigned two years ago to become a Port Authority police officer, has returned. Anthony Picinich, who spent time with both the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department and the William Paterson University police, was also hired. Since Boesch and Picinich had completed their state-mandated training at a police academy already, they can be placed among the regular patrol right away. Only Cook has to head off to the grueling 22-week regimentation.
“I think I’m ready for it,” said Cook, who said she will spend the next few weeks trying to get in shape just for the police academy. “I’ve heard it’s tough, but I think I can handle it.”
Cook said that the current police department, headed by Police Director John LoPresto and by Lt. Joseph Gryzbowski, has been very supportive.
“I’m actually dumbfounded,” Cook said. “I can’t believe how well it’s gone. The guys have all been great and so supportive. I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
“I think she’s a great addition,” said Gryzbowski, the town’s highest ranking uniformed officer. “In my eyes, it’s about time we hired a woman. In the past, when we needed someone to handle searches on suspects, we had to reach out to other towns to get a female officer here. Now, having Carol is a great asset for us. She grew up in the town and knows what the streets are like. She’s also a great role model for the kids, with her athletic background.”
Cook said that she believes she’s ready for the challenge “because I’ve always been around men more than women.”
However, there is some added pressure being the first and only woman on the force.
“I think I’ll be tested, being the first woman,” Cook said. “There’s the pressure on you, because you don’t want to disappoint anyone.”
Cook welcomes the idea of being a role model. She has been involved with kids through the Guttenberg Recreation Department, where she referees basketball games on the weekends.
“I hope that I’m a positive influence, especially for the girls,” Cook said. “I always believed that happiness is more important than anything else.”
Delle Donna said that the move was “definitely long overdue.”
“We haven’t been able to hire any officers since I’ve been mayor,” Delle Donna said. “I think the time has come to get a few new ones on board, especially a well respected woman like Carol. Having three new officers is going to provide more of a preventative staff with more visibility.”
Not to mention a woman who has been extremely visible and well known in the town where she grew up.