Community Corner

Police Dispatcher Retires After 25 Years

Patricia Sterno leaving the Lacey Township Police Department

Lacey Police Chief William A. Nally and the Township Committee recently honored three police officers and a dispatcher who retired from the Lacey Police Department in 2010.

“On behalf of the governing body and more importantly on behalf of the residents of Lacey, I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work throughout your years here,” Mayor Gary Quinn said. “I’ve known most of you for a lot of years and I know your dedication and the amount of time you’ve put in serving Lacey Township. Certainly we do appreciate it and we do certainly want to wish you the very best. I hope you enjoy your retirement. To each one of you, get out there and enjoy yourselves."

The retired officers include Sgt. Chester Jurkiewicz, Sgt. Edward Olbrys, Patrolman Michael Gudgeon, and Dispatcher Patricia Streno.

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“We are certainly going to miss them,” Quinn added. “They provided great service and a wealth of experience.”

This is article two of a four-part series featuring each retiree. See below.

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Patricia Streno, 58, of Forked River, was a dispatcher at the Lacey Township Police Department for 25 years and one month.

“Dispatching is a very thankless job. It's probably one of the most stressful and difficult jobs out there. You need to be a teacher, a psychologist, a mom, a counselor, and a doctor. You're everything when a person calls up with a problem," Streno said. "To the caller, it is probably at that particular moment the most difficult thing they'll encounter in their life, and they look to you to fix it and make it right for them."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, dispatchers monitor the location of emergency services personnel and respond to calls by dispatching the appropriate type and number of units.

Streno implied that the job was very hectic and challenging. While on phone calls, dispatcher's are typing and have to be aware of where every unit is at all times, she said.

"And, of course, there are times when the caller is screaming, cursing, yelling, calling you all sorts of names and you would like to do the same back but won't because you're very proud of the profession that you are involved in," Streno said. "I know in the 25 years that I was dispatching, I have helped people in and outside of our community and I think that’s a good thing.”

Streno said she had become a dispatcher because it was a job that was available at the time and she needed to take care of her family.

Although Streno says she does not miss working as a dispatcher, she reflected on the people she met during her time at the police department.

“I did meet a lot of wonderful people that were there, some have since retired. Some are still there,” Streno said. “All the supervisory and management staff was wonderful.”

One of her best memories as a dispatcher was becoming best friends with Linda Tampke, the dispatcher who trained her. Tampke moved to Florida several years ago.

"The job in communications is mostly based on on the job training - you have to do the job to 'get' the job," Streno said.

Streno said 2010 was the right time to retire.

“It was the right time with what was going on in all government jobs.  I didn't want to risk losing what I had invested 25 years in,” Streno said.

Gov. Chris Christie has mentioned possibly reconfiguring New Jersey Police and Firefighters Retirement System and the NJ Police Union has been fighting pension cuts.

“My future plans right now are to enjoy my retirement, play with my grandchildren,” Streno said. “I will eventually move forward and look for a job but it’s not something that I need to do right now.”

Streno has three children - two daughters and a son - ranging from 33 to 38.   She also has three grandchildren, ages 3, 5 and 15. Streno has been married to her high school sweetheart, Dave, for 39 years.


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