On June 1, 2019, Matthew J. Hintze became the eleventh person appointed as the Chief of Police for the Borough of Fort Lee Police Department. As Chief, he is responsible for establishing and enforcing the Rules and Regulations of the department, as well as the policies and procedures vital to successfully managing the daily operations of the police department. He is also responsible for determining the department’s internal organization and structure to ensure adequate manpower necessary to serve the community of the Borough of Fort Lee.
Prior to assuming the Chief of Police position, Chief Hintze has held numerous supervisory positions within the department. As a Captain, he was the Detective Division Commander, where he was responsible for overseeing all criminal investigations conducted by detectives in the following bureaus: General Investigations, Narcotics / Anti-Crime, Juvenile, Evidence, and Data Analysis Reporting and Trends (DART). Chief Hintze was also the Commander of the Internal Affairs Bureau and was responsible for the intake, investigation, and disposition of internal, anonymous and citizen complaints made against members of the department.
While in the rank of Lieutenant, Chief Hintze was assigned to various positions. He was the Commander of the Emergency Services Unit (ESU), where he supervised high risk incidents that not only occurred in the Borough of Fort Lee but also in outside jurisdictions. Chief Hintze was also the Training Bureau Supervisor, Background Investigation Unit Supervisor, the Communication Center Supervisor / 9-1-1 Coordinator and a Patrol Supervisor. As a Sergeant, Chief Hintze was assigned to the Detective Division, as well as the Patrol Division.
Prior to becoming a Sergeant in 2011, Chief Hintze was assigned to the Patrol Division, where he was a Field Training Officer (FTO) for new officers that recently graduated the Police Academy. He was also a member of the department’s Emergency Services Unit and a certified Emergency Medical Technician. Chief Hintze obtained his New Jersey police instructor certification while in patrol, and has maintained certifications as an instructor for Firearms, TASER, CPR, Use of Force, and Active Shooter Response.
Chief Hintze was raised in the Borough of Fort Lee and attended Fort Lee Public Schools. After graduating from the Fort Lee High School, he attended Pace University and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice. He attended the Rutgers University Certified Public Manager program and is currently enrolled at Fairleigh Dickinson University, where he is pursuing a Master’s degree in Administrative Science. Chief Hintze is an exempt member of the Fort Lee Fire Department and a life member of the Fort Lee Volunteer Ambulance Corps.
Daniel Zusi Deputy Chief
Daniel Zusi was sworn in as a Fort Lee Police Officer in September of 1995. As a patrolman he worked in the Patrol Division where he was assigned various duties, including ESU, Emergency Services Unit and bicycle patrol. In 2001, he earned a spot in the Narcotics Bureau where he worked as a Narcotics Detective specializing in drug enforcement and anti-crime. During that time, he was also briefly on loan to the Bergen County Prosecutors Office Special Task Force. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2006 and worked as a Road Supervisor, supervising the midnight shift. In 2011, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and worked as a Tour Commander, overseeing operations on the day shift. He was also assigned as the Communications Bureau Supervisor / 9-1-1 Coordinator. In 2015, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, where he was assigned as the Patrol Division Commander coordinating operations for all three shifts as well as the Traffic Division. In 2019, he was assigned as the Detective Division Commander where he was responsible for overseeing the following bureaus: General Investigations, Narcotic / Anti-Crime, Juvenile, Evidence, and DART, Data Analysis Reporting and Trends. He also served as the department’s Internal Affairs Commander. He was promoted to Deputy Chief in August 2019 and currently oversee Operations of the Fort Lee Police Department.
Deputy Chief Zusi attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, Petrocelli College of Continuing Studies in Teaneck, NJ where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in 2011. He attended Rutgers University, School of Public Affairs and Administration, New Brunswick, NJ and attained State of New Jersey Certified Public Manager in 2015. In April of 2019, he graduated from Seton Hall University, College of Education and Human Services, South Orange NJ with a Masters of Arts in Human Resources Training and Development.
He has been married to his wife, Jenifer for the past 19 years and they have two beautiful daughters, ages 18 and 13.
