William
H.
Neale

WILLIAM H. NEALE was born April 30, 1917 in Camden NJ to Paul B. and Carrie M. Neale. He was named after his grandfather, a Civil War veteran who also was named William H. Neale, with whom the family lived, at 578 Berkley Street in what was then Camden's Ninth Ward. This house had been the Neale family home as far back as 1887.

When the census was taken in January of 1920 Paul Neale was working as a clerk at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards. Grandfather William passed away in the 1920s, Paul, Carrie and William Neale remained at the Berkley Street address through the 1930s. The family later moved to 773 Line Street. William Neale attended Camden's public schools, completing two years of high school before entering the workplace.

Known to his fellow officers as Bill, he joined the Camden Police Department on August 24, 1940, two days after William Large, Stanley Zuchowicz, and Donald Watson joined the force. 

On January 27, 1942 Bill Neale enlisted in the United States Army Air Corps. The Army had other plans than aviation, however, and he served in the Army's Criminal Investigation Unit in England, and while there attended training at Scotland Yard. 

Upon returning to the Camden Police Department in 1946, Bill Neale was promoted to detective, and five years later he was made sergeant. In 1957 he was again promoted, to lieutenant in charge of Camden's detectives. By the end of the 1950s Bill Neale had married and was living at 3008 Berkley Street in East Camden.

In 1960, Bill Neale was named Camden's new chief of police, succeeding Donald Watson, who was serving as acting chief. Chief Neale served under the administration of Mayor Alfred Pierce, and, after his 1962 appointment, city Public Safety Director, Colonel Edwin A. Bedell. 

Chief Neale headed the department into the mid-1960s. The Camden NJ Police Department 1962 Report shows much of what the Chief was involved with, and what was happening, crime-wise in Camden at that time.

After retiring, Chief Neale moved to Marlton NJ, and was living there when his father Paul passed in 1979. Last a resident himself of Marlton, Chief William H. Neale passed away on August 14, 1998.

Chief Neale's son, Bill Neale, is a professional musician. He played guitar for the Temptations both in the studio and on tour, done session work at Sigma Sound in Philadelphia and for Motown in California, and has written, arranged, and/or produced recordings for many other noted artists, including Natalie Cole, Deneice Williams, Johnny Gill, Angela Bofill, & Brandi Wells, and also appeared, as a member of the Hollywood Cowboys, in The Gong Show Movie, in 1980.

Camden Courier-Post - December 24, 1957

Camden Courier-Post - December 28, 1957

 At  a B & E  of photo equipment from a home in North Camden
Photo by Bob Bartosz 

Philadelphia Inquirer - March 28, 1960

Bought Gun At Work
East Camden Man Ends Life with Shot as Wife Seeks Reconciliation

The 21-year-old wife of an East Camden man, on the verge of a reconciliation after a five-week separation, found her husband dead from a gunshot wound of the head early Sunday in his apartment.

Camden county Coroner Howard W. Creran said Wesley W. Gaylord, 34, of 1026 N. 27th Street, Camden, apparently ended his life with a single shot from a .22 caliber rifle, which was lying alongside him on a day bed in the apartment.

WORKED AT DRIVE-IN

Creran said an autopsy would be performed Monday.

Gaylord, a maintenance man for the Tacony-Palmyra Drive-in Theatre, Palmyra, N. J., was found at 2 A. M. by his wife, Reba, of W. Walnut Street, Westmont. 

She told Camden Detective Thomas Scarduzio she had talked with her husband Saturday afternoon about a reconciliation. She said she agreed to meet Gaylord at his apartment about 11 P. M. Saturday, after he finished work at the theater.

FINDS HUSBAND'S BODY

Mrs. Gaylord said she phoned Gaylord shortly before 11 P. M. at the theater, but was unable to reach him. Later she went to his apartment. He was stretched across the day bed, bleeding from mouth and ears. She called neighbors, who summoned police.

Scarduzio said he questioned Fred Basile, 18, of 356 Boyd Street, Camden, a brother-in-law of the victim, who said he last saw Gaylord when he let him out of a car near his home at 11:10 P. M. Saturday. 

BUYS RIFLE FOR $20

Police reported Gaylord was despondent because of the separation and last Friday night purchased the death rifle from an usher at the drive-in theater for $20.             ,

The case also was investigated by Capt. Philip Large, of Camden county detectives; Lieutenants Harold Melleby and William Neale, and Detective Joseph Hainsworth, of the Camden police.

WILLIAM H. NEALE, Chief of Police

Lifelong resident of city..... educated in public school system
.....appointed to police department in 1940.....promoted to
detective in 1946 after service with US Army Criminal 
Investigation Division (CID)..... while in CID attended famed
Scotland Yard School.....also attended numerous police schools
..... elevated to sergeant in 1951.....to lieutenant in 1957 handling detective division.... promoted to Inspector in 1960
.... appointed Chief in August 1960..... married father of
three children.....Vice-President South Jersey Chiefs of Police Association.

Colonel Edwin Bedell
Director of Public Safety
City of Camden
New Jersey

Dear Director:

It is with pleasure that I present herewith the Annual 
Report of the Camden City Police Department for the year 1962.

In this report we have endeavored to present, in as concise form as possible, all essential information covering the work and accomplishments of this Department during the year 1962. Utiliz- ing pictures and graphs, we have aimed to present a clear and realistic concept of the various units of our Department, each of which plays a vital part in providing the citizens of Camden with efficient and effective police service.

An interesting segment of the report points out the overall decrease in the crime index pattern and indicates a noticeable increase in vice arrests. The crime rate in Camden is 5.2% under the previous year, 1961. The national average has increased approximately 97% from the same year.

We are constantly endeavoring to improve and modernize our various operations and follow closely all new techniques and scientific achievements. These are adopted after proven worth.

We further trust that the attainments herein will merit your confidence and approval.

Very truly yours,

<Signed>

WILLIAM H. NEALE,
Chief of Police.

Click on Images to Enlarge

Chief Wiliiam Neale, unknown, unknown

Click on Images to Enlarge

From Left: Joseph "Joe Reno" Valeriano,
unknown, unknown, Sergeant Tom Kelly, 
Detective Nate Jones, unknown, 
Chief William Neale,
Detective "Pete" Sunkett, unknown

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