Schaffer reflects on his 45-year career in law enforcement while looking at old photos of himself.
By Donald Wittkowski
When he was a baby-faced police officer barely in his 20s, Gary Schaffer posed as a student at Wildwood High School in 1973 during an undercover operation that cracked a drug ring involving an outlaw motorcycle gang.
Later, as director of the Cape May County Police Academy, he transformed what had been a woefully outdated training program into one that is now a model for the rest of New Jersey.
And as Cape May County sheriff, Schaffer was known for his honesty, leadership and fierce dedication to his job. A “cop’s cop” is how one colleague described him.
Schaffer’s family members, friends and colleagues recalled his remarkable 45-year career in law enforcement during a surprise party Sunday that was truly a surprise.
When Schaffer and his wife, Debbie, walked through the doors at the Kix McNutley’s bar and nightclub in Sea Isle City, more than 100 people showered them with a booming “Surprise!”
“This is the first time in my 45 years in law enforcement that they surprised me. I guess I’m slipping. This tells me that it’s time to retire,” Schaffer joked of his supposedly waning police instincts.
The crowd at Kix McNutley's in Sea Isle City awaits Schaffer's arrival for the surprise party.
Calling it a career, the 65-year-old Schaffer decided not to seek re-election as sheriff in 2017. He was first elected as sheriff in 2008 and won new terms in 2011 and 2014. His family said his retirement will allow him to devote more time to his beloved grandchildren.
Schaffer, reflecting on his career, called it “quite a ride.” He said he enjoyed it from the very first day he became a police officer in Ocean City to his very last day as sheriff.
“When I speak at (police academy) graduations, I tell them that the certificate they receive as police officers is their ticket to the greatest show on Earth,” he said. “Every day is different. I never really knew what I was going to do each day.”
Early in his police career, when he was 21 years old, he went undercover as a junior at Wildwood High School to help break up a ring in which members of the Warlocks motorcycle gang were supplying drugs to students.
“I looked 16 at the time,” Schaffer recalled. “I went undercover as a junior, not as a senior.”
Schaffer reflects on his 45-year career in law enforcement while looking at old photos of himself.
Schaffer's two other sons, Stephen, 34, and Matthew, 32, followed him into law enforcement and are members of the Ocean City Police Department. Schaffer also has a 30-year-old daughter, Danielle, who is Philip’s twin.
Matthew Schaffer said his father not only inspired him to go into law enforcement, but has also served as his role model.
“In all the years he’s served in law enforcement, he’s the most professional person I’ve ever known. My intention, to guide my career, is to look at him as a model,” Matthew Schaffer said.
Among his police duties, Matthew Schaffer is involved with the training of other officers, much like his father once did. After a 25-year career with the Ocean City Police Department, Gary Schaffer went on to become the director of the Cape May County Police Academy for 10 years.
Formerly housed in a tiny, two-classroom trailer, the academy expanded into a modern training facility that opened in 2000 under Schaffer’s leadership. Cape May County’s Police Academy is the only “residential” municipal police academy in New Jersey. Recruits live there while learning to become police officers, giving them an even fuller training experience.
“It is recognized across the state as the premier police training facility in New Jersey. North Jersey counties even send their trainees there,” said Cape May County Freeholder Leonard Desiderio, who is also mayor of Sea Isle City.
Desiderio, who owns the Kix McNutley’s bar and nightclub where Schaffer’s retirement party was held, credited Schaffer for professionalizing the police training program. Desiderio said the police academy reflects Schaffer’s dedication to law enforcement and the county.
“I think of him as someone who is totally dedicated to his job,” Desiderio said. “He is honest, and he only wanted what was best for the county. Anything he did was first class.”
Schaffer and his wife, Debbie, plan to devote more time to their grandchildren now that Schaffer is retired.
Jon Gansert, a retired Sea Isle City police sergeant who is the coordinator of the county’s Alternative to Incarceration Program, formerly worked with Schaffer as a police academy instructor. He said Schaffer’s work ethic was legendary.
“He’s very hard-working,” Gansert said. “You’re talking about a guy who doesn’t sleep because he’s always doing his job.”
Gansert said Schaffer always recognized the importance of training and innovation, qualities that guided him when he modernized the police academy. He also praised Schaffer’s leadership skills.
“He’s a cop’s cop,” Gansert said. “He’s all about law enforcement.”
