Lots of working moms know the drill. The challenges start early in pregnancy: what will I wear to work today, will those pants be too tight, can I still wear a belt? In Amy Antonucci’s case, there wasn’t a choice – Antonucci wears the uniform of a West Milford Police Officer and, for one thing, the absence of a duty belt is not an option.
Antonucci, 29, has lived on and off in West Milford since she was a youngster. Her family relocated to North Carolina but by her teen years she was back in New Jersey. She graduated from Kinnelon High School in 2002, attended Passaic County College for a while but by the time she was 21, she was in the police academy.
She met Joe Antonucci, her husband of three years, when she accompanied a pal to meet friends at a bowling alley. As soon as she walked in, she noticed Joe and, let’s just say, she was bowled over. They’ve been together since and are now the proud parents of two-year-old Madelyn.
At one time Antonucci considered joining the Army, a tribute to her grandfather, a former military man for whom she has great admiration. But grandpa wouldn’t have approved of military life for her so she turned her eyes towards law enforcement.
Antonucci’s family owned a West Milford deli at the time and she got to know the local police officers. They eventually assisted her with the process of becoming an officer herself.
Now on the West Milford Police Department for over seven years, Antonucci started her career training at the Passaic Police Academy. For five and a half months, she was taught discipline and put through the same rigorous training as her male counterparts.
“We are held to the same exact standards,” she said. While she found it physically and mentally draining at times, she had a goal and she was determined to get to the finish line.
“Everything they do is for a reason,” she said. The intensity of the training becomes crystal clear once an officer puts on that uniform and is out on the road.
One of five female West Milford police officers, Antonucci feels very fortunate to be a member of the township’s department, to be so well accepted and have so many “brothers.”
As far as the public’s perception of a female officer, the biggest hurdle, she said, is getting people to take a woman officer seriously. If the public were to consider the demanding standards every officer is held to and the on-going training, including fire arms and domestic violence training and pursuit driving, they may reconsider their viewpoints.
There’s no such thing as a typical day for a police officer.
“You patrol your area and anything can happen at any time. When you go to work, you never know how it’s going to end up. You don’t know what time you’ll get out of work. Sometimes, I go a couple of days without seeing my daughter,” Antonucci said.
When she was pregnant, things had to change on the job. She was removed from the night shift due to her doctor’s concerns about overnight hours but was able to continue 12-hour day shifts with her platoon. She bought pants with expandable waists, huge uniform shirts and a different duty belt for her gun. When she had to switch to plain clothes, she no longer dealt with the public but continued to work until she was eight months pregnant.
“I was very lucky, Chief (Gene) Chiosie and the department, they were wonderful,” she said. The chief’s greatest concern was for the safety of Antonucci and her baby.
Now, as a mom, the rotating 12-hour day and night shifts present a different challenge, but between herself, her husband and her mother they have it well covered.
Antonucci said she would definitely recommend the job for other women. She believes females bring a different perspective to the job but a female officer needs a strong personality, a “tough skin and a soft interior.”
Like many women, Antonucci’s favorite pastime is shopping and most of her expendable income goes on Madelyn.
“My daughter is a little diva. She loves dresses and nail polish and putting on make-up with mommy. But I’m learning to control myself, realizing she doesn’t need super nice clothes to play in the mud.”
Antonucci enjoys cooking for her family but has to plan her meal preparations around her hours. She said her crock pot is her best friend and sent in one of her favorite recipes.