| Mr. Madden was elected to the Senate in 2003 and re-elected four times. Prior to his legislative service, he was a law enforcement officer. He rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in the New Jersey State Police and led the force of 4,000 enlisted and civilian employees as acting superintendent. He left that post in February 2003, to run for the Senate.
Senator Madden has sponsored legislation to protect children and support veterans and first responders. He sponsored legislation that requires certain sexual predators to wear global positioning system (GPS) devices to allow tracking by law enforcement. He authored a 2007 law to keep schools and child care centers from opening on contaminated sites, drafted in response to a day care center found to be operating on the grounds of a former thermometer factory in Gloucester County.
The senator sponsored a bill giving surviving spouses of fallen police officers and fire fighters permanent workers' compensation. He pushed for the law that makes the transition into the classroom easier for veterans, and a measure honoring New Jersey's service members by designating November of each year Veterans' Month.
The senator's State Police career started in 1975, after he graduated first in his recruit training class. Under his command, the State Police established an Internet sexual offender registry, a computer crimes initiative to combat crimes against children. He also served as a member of New Jersey's State Domestic Preparedness Task Force to address issues of homeland security and counter-terrorism.
Senator Madden earned an associate of science degree in law enforcement from Camden County Community College, a B.A. from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) and an M.S. in criminal justice administration from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia. He has taught as an adjunct professor at Seton Hall and Rutgers Universities.
Senator Madden and his wife, Patti, a registered nurse, have seven grandchildren. |