25-Year Officer Takes Off Badge but Keeps Haddonfield Close to His Heart

It's Det. Sgt. Mark Knoedler's last day on the Haddonfield police force.

After 25 years, the Mount Ephraim native, who now lives in Cherry Hill, will take off his badge but still keep the people of Haddonfield close to his heart.

"I love helping people and the people of Haddonfield have always treated me well," Knoedler said while sitting in an unmarked squad car blocking Haddon Avenue after an accident this week.

In fact, Knoedler had just passed the driver of the car that smashed into a utility pole and snapped it in two after apparently losing control of his car.

"I had just gotten to the light at Haddon and Euclid avenues when I heard the bang and saw it in my rear-view mirror," he said. "My wife tells me to just stay in the office to avoid any danger on my last week, but this is the job."

Knoedler, 54, has a real estate license and plans to become an agent when he retires. He said he'll miss police work but won't be far from the friends and colleagues he's met over a quarter-century in Haddonfield.

"One door closes and another opens," he said.

Police Chief John Banning, who is also facing retirement this summer, said Knoedler will be missed.

"It's a major loss for us," Banning said. "He's involved with all of our computer systems. I don't know what we're going to do to replace that."

The department will hire a new officer when Knoedler leaves. But it seems  replacing him is another matter all together.