Linden Police Chief Jeff Laduron announced at Tuesday&8217;s City Council meeting that he has decided to retire from the force.

While we at The Times are happy for Laduron and wish him well in his future endeavors, we know Linden will be hard pressed to replace the man that has protected and served the community for approximately 20 years.

Under the watchful eye of Laduron the department has worked hard to crack down on drug possession and trafficking for the residents of Linden.

Aside from the numerous ongoing investigations and drug stings that have taken copious amounts of narcotics off of the streets, officers under Laduron have stepped up to their leader&8217;s call by continued vigilance even when off duty &8212; calling backup when observing suspicious behavior.

Laduron has also lead the charge for equipping his officers with the latest tools to efficiently and safely keep the peace in Linden.

He has continually kept the department&8217;s fleet of cars up to date, requesting upgrades regularly, and recently asked for and received permission to arm the department with tasers for the safety of both officers and residents.

Laduron has achieved all of this while at the same time remaining accessible to the public and maintaining good relations with the city government. The city he served will be fortunate to find his equal.