Veteran detective retires from boro police dept.
Kelly looks back on police career, military service
BY MICHAEL ACKER Staff Writer

MICHAEL ACKER Detective Kenneth Kelly works at his desk at Sayreville police headquarters last week. The longtime police officer is retiring after 31 years of service this month.

SAYREVILLE - Detective Kenneth Kelly's 31 years of service with the Sayreville Police Department are coming to an end this month.

But he is not looking to end his public service. Kelly will run on the Republican ticket this November for a seat on the Borough Council.

"I have been a registered independent for 15 years because I don't believe that police should be involved in politics, and now that I am retiring, I was asked by the Republican Party to screen and become a candidate for council," he said.

It's a period of milestones for Kelly, who will be inducted into the Sayreville War Memorial High School Hall of Fame on April 26. And while he also plans to continue his volunteer service for veterans' and other civic groups, Kelly is focused on becoming a council member, something he has considered for several years.

"I would like to address the concerns of the residents of the borough; namely, traffic, taxes, increases in school budgets, [and] lack of funding from the state," he said. "I just feel that I have the time to donate to it and I would like to continue to serve the community."

Kelly has been involved in numerous projects around town, including the borough's 9/11 memorial, the veterans monument at borough hall, the PBA memorial flag at the high school, and the implementation of street signs that honor borough veterans. Kelly also participated in the recovery effort at ground zero during 9/11.

Born in New York City in 1948, Kelly grew up in the Chelsea neighborhood. He later joined the Air Force, serving with the casualty-staging unit in Da Nang, Vietnam, from 1967 to 1968. His unit transported wounded soldiers via air medical evacuation.

"The Vietnam War was on at the time, and you had the option of either being drafted or enlisting in another branch of service," Kelly said. "At the urging of a [now] deceased uncle, I enlisted in the Air Force."

Kelly's uncle,William Karaffa, is not the only family member who served in the military. His father, Charles, now deceased, was a veteran of World War II.

"He was a veteran tank commander at the Battle of the Bulge and he served under [George S.] Patton," Kelly said.

While Kelly was in Vietnam, the VFW sent him letters and care packages with magazines and food, which started his ongoing relationship with the group.

"Little things make it a lot easier for you," Kelly said. "Mail was a big morale booster."

In fact, Kelly credits his interest in community service to his involvement with the local VFW post.

Kelly and his wife, Diane, have been married for 37 years. They are the parents of Kenneth Jr. and Erin Ann.

In reference to his years of service with the Sayreville Police Department, Kelly noted that some of the cases police officers handle affect them long after they are solved.

"The victims of crimes that are domestic or under violent circumstances or involving children…those had a particular effect on me," Kelly said.

"I have worked with just about everyone except nine officers, and it has been great knowing the great and varied personalities," Kelly added. "There has been some sadness, but also some humor. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I am honored to serve with these guys and serve the residents of the borough."

Sayreville Police Capt. Michael Burns, who has been on the force for 30 years, characterized Kelly as trustworthy." I was in the Detective Bureau for the same time as Kenny was with ID [the identification bureau], so we worked closely together," Burns said. "Only when I was promoted did I get to supervise Kenny. He has been a good guy. I worked a lot of major cases with him and he was an excellent evidence and ID officer.

"He is the type of guy who you wish there were more like him," Burns added.

Kelly is in the process of getting his teaching certificate to teach in the district's elementary schools. He said he also wants to visit Europe again during his retirement. In addition, he is working on becoming a deacon with St. Bernadette's Roman Catholic Church on Villanova Road.

"We have been parishioners there since 1956 … since it was built," Kelly said of him and his family.

Kelly expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to serve the community, the police department and the union.

"I am going to miss the guys," Kelly said. "I am going to miss being the delegate from the PBA to the state organization, and it's just been a great career."