2018 NJSPBA Valor Awards
2018 Member of the Year
Montclair Local 53 State Delegate Joseph Savittieri
The State PBA’s own Santa
What else do you call the man who seems to be everywhere
spreading joy and helping those in need?
■ BY JOSHUA SIGMUND
The 2018 Valor Awards in Atlantic City was a great night for the
Savittieri family. After all, 20-year-old Joey won the 50/50. Oh,
and his father, Montclair Local 53 State Delegate Joseph Savit-
tieri, was honored as the New Jersey State PBA’s Member of the
Year. The award was presented in front of hundreds of members
who might not know the man personally, but likely know his
name and certainly have been helped by his actions and efforts
over his decades-long career.
Though Savittieri was aware he would be receiving this honor
about two weeks prior to the Valor Awards, what he didn’t know
was that a platoon of his colleagues attempted to surprise the
man of the hour with their presence at the ceremony. Only at-
tempted, however.
“(My family and I) were checking into the hotel, and we hap-
pened to be at the check-in counter right next to everyone from
Montclair,” Savittieri recounts. “They tried to hide with their
suits, but one of my guys dropped his phone and when some-
body acknowledged them in front of me, the secret was out. I told
them, ‘You didn’t have to come down.’ They said, ‘Yeah, we did.’
I felt honored they all drove down to AC for the event; it really
made the night more special.”
Those close to Savittieri know well his accomplishments and
selflessness as an officer, PBA leader, friend and family member.
For everyone else, it’s time to get to know Joe.
The story begins in 1994. Rookies Savittieri and Todd Conforti
had just graduated from the academy and were two of 16 new
hires in Montclair. The two became detectives, and as Confor-
ti rose through the ranks to eventually become chief, Savittieri
found his own way to make a difference.
“My first three years I was very outspoken,” he offers. “I was
a teamster first, so I had knowledge of unions, and in 1997, an
opportunity came up when the Local president got promoted. I
was nominated to fill the role by 12 people that day and I said,
‘Absolutely.’ I’ve never wanted to be chief; this – the union – is my
career.”
Savittieri became State Delegate in 2011, and fortunately for
Local 53 and PBA members statewide, one of those happy people
is Joe’s former academy mate.
“When I was going through the ranks, Joe was our PBA presi-
dent and always did a great job for us, always kept us informed,”
Chief Conforti affirms. “Today, I admire how hard he works as well
as the great job he does as a police officer. Our communication
has always been trusting and open and because of the person he
is, I have no problem talking about issues and he has no problem
bringing them to me. He understands taking care of officers and
Montclair comes first.”
Such relationships that blend “professional” with “personal”
have been crucial in supporting Savittieri’s ongoing responsi-
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NEW JERSEY COPS
■ DECEMBER 2018
NJ State PBA 2018 Member of the Year Joe Savittieri with members of Mont-
clair Local 53 at the Valor Awards.
Joe Savittieri with his family at the Valor Awards.
bilities with the State PBA. For example, as chairman of the New
Delegates Committee and a member of at least eight other State
PBA committees, Savittieri attends two to three meetings every
month.