Murphy Named 14th Wildwood Police Chief

WILDWOOD – The meeting room at the Wildwoods Convention Center was packed with members of the law enforcement community, including chiefs of police, the county prosecutor and sheriff, in addition to many members of Wildwood Police Department, all honoring new Police Chief Joseph Murphy on his promotion, July 13.
Murphy took the oath of office from City Clerk Lisa Brown, and had his badge pinned on by his wife, MaryNell, completing the process for his transition into the job vacated by retired Police Chief Robert Regalbuto, who departed after 35 years as a police officer.
Regalbuto, who gave the welcoming address, joked about being able to sit back and relax when there was a power outage in the Wildwoods over a recent weekend.
“I just couldn’t get the smile off my face,” he said.
Regalbuto introduced Murphy, who was promoted to deputy chief under his command, and who was named provisional chief of police July 3, saying Murphy is the 14th chief of police in the City of Wildwood.
Besides Regalbuto, three other retired chiefs of police were present at the ceremony – William Davenport, Joseph Fisher, and Steven Long.
Despite his joking about the blackout matter, Regalbuto praised the efforts of all four police departments on the island – Wildwood, North Wildwood, Wildwood Crest, and West Wildwood – as well as the firefighters who responded to the fire that resulted in the blackout.
“Everyone did what they always do – they came together to solve a problem,” he said.
Murphy would later credit the firefighters for their efforts, saying he would not have wanted to respond to such a fire.
Regalbuto thanked administrations, past and present, for their support of the police department.
Commissioner Steve Mikulski, who oversees public safety, likewise thanked Regalbuto for his many years of service, saying, “You will always be part of the City of Wildwood.”
Mikulski then said he was excited to see Murphy leading the department and expressed his desire to see the state Legislature provide the department with the means to protect the community.
He wished Murphy “safety, success, and satisfaction in all you do.”
The invocation was given by Fr. Yvans Jazon, who several times referred to Murphy as “Chief Joseph,” and who praised his dedication to mission work in Haiti.
“Service is of great value to him,” Jazon said.
Murphy, once he was sworn in, spoke about how humbled he was to be named chief of police, and for the turnout to help mark the occasion.
He thanked his mother, mother-in-law, and wife for their roles in making him who he is today. He addressed Mikulski, saying he looked forward to working with him daily.
“Relations in this business are critical,” Murphy said. “I know that my relation to all of you added to the safety of the City of Wildwood.”
To his fellow police officers, Murphy said, “You not only work for me now, but I work for you.”
Murphy said the work done by officers in the department does not go unnoticed, and with that, he used the occasion of his promotion ceremony to honor three officers who performed above and beyond the call of duty.
He first recognized Detective Charles Byrd, whose work in response to a deadly pop-up car rally in September 2022 resulted in the arrest of one person.
Murphy said Byrd took the lead on several investigations, but it was his scrubbing of social media that identified one particular offender.
Murphy also identified Sgt. Matthew Donnelly, who he said had taken on the oversight of the beaches and boardwalk for the department. Donnelly, he said, was responsible for saving the life of a drowning victim a few days earlier.
Finally, Murphy presented a meritorious service medal to Patrolman Matthew Pilanski, who made multiple car stops, resulting in multiple arrests, and the seizure of seven illegal handguns, getting both the weapons and half a dozen suspects off the streets.
“These individuals were not here to ride rides,” Murphy said.
Murphy began his career with the Wildwood Police Department in 1997 as a Class II officer. He later graduated Monmouth University with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice before being hired as a full-time officer, attending the 200th Basic Course for Police Officers (BCPO) at the New Jersey State Police Academy in 1999.
He held various positions within the department, including that of a patrol supervisor and field training officer. He served as a New Jersey Police Training Commission certified instructor and was commander of the county SWAT team.
In 2015, he attended the 259th session of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Murphy is currently on the board of the FBI National Academy Associates New Jersey Chapter.
In 2021, he graduated from Rutger’s University’s Certified Public Management program. For the past several years, he has overseen the operations of the Wildwood Police Department.
Murphy and his wife have three daughters, Carly, Grace, and Joelle.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.