Since he was 4 years old, Dennis Rivelli knew he wanted a career in law enforcement. "I saw a car go by with lights flashing, and I asked my dad about it. He said it's a police car. I said 'I want to drive it.' As I got older, I wanted to be a cop," said Rivelli.

The 50-year old veteran with the East Rutherford Police Department will be sworn in as the 34-member agency's chief on July 1, replacing retiring Chief Larry Minda. With 28 years of experience with the ERPD, Rivelli moved up the ranks from a 22-year-old officer in 1988 to captain in 2009. "When I started this job, I wanted to go as far as I could, so this is the pinnacle," Rivelli said.