Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Detectives Retires
Published on August 31, 2026
Honors Presented Celebrating Career Contributions at Walkout Ceremony
Morris County congratulates Chief of Detectives Robert “Bob” McNally of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on the occasion of his retirement following more than 30 years of service in law enforcement.
McNally’s retirement was marked Friday with a walkout ceremony at the Morris County Administration & Records Building attended by Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, members of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and Sheriff’s Office, the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, local police departments and other colleagues throughout the years.
Commissioner Director Stephen H. Shaw presented McNally with a framed Resolution of Honor on behalf of the Morris County Board of County Commissioners, recognizing his law enforcement career and service to the United States as a United States Marine.
“Since being appointed Chief of Detectives in 2023, Chief McNally has led the entire investigate division, keeping our county safe while managing state and federal partnerships. As a member of the Police Pipes and Drums of Morris County, Bob has also provided the heartbeat for our county’s most solemn and celebratory moments,” said Commissioner Director Shaw. “On behalf of the Board of County Commissioners and a deeply grateful community, we thank him for his extraordinary lifetime of service and wish him and his family a long, well-deserved and peaceful next chapter.”
View More Photos from the Retirement Walkout Ceremony
“Chief Bob McNally has had a distinguished career of achievement, dedication and integrity that has set an example for all citizens and especially law enforcement personnel,” said Prosecutor Carroll. “Bob demonstrated every day his courage, skills, and most importantly, his compassionate humanity. His expansive knowledge of violent crime investigations, complex conspiracies and corrupt activities provided a strong foundation that enabled his universal recognition as a consummate law enforcement leader admired and respected by all.”
“I have had the honor of working with many highly skilled and principled police officers, and I can attest that Bob is one of the finest persons I have ever worked with,” he continued. “The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office family and Morris County government will miss Bob, and we wish him, his wife Sarah and their family every success in the next chapter of their lives.”
McNally began his law enforcement career in 1996 with the United States Customs Service in Newark following his honorable discharge from the United States Marine Corps, where he served as a sniper team leader and completed three deployments. During his federal law enforcement training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, he received the high pistol shooter and top physical fitness awards. As a federal officer, he made numerous arrests and seizures involving federal narcotics and currency violations, including a $1 million currency seizure related to narcotics smuggling.
McNally joined the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in 2003 as a detective, serving in the Intelligence and Professional Standards/Internal Affairs units before transferring to the Major Crimes Unit. During approximately 12 years in Major Crimes, he investigated homicides, bank robberies, suspicious deaths, fatal fires, police-involved shootings and other major crimes. In 2007, he was named “Morris County Detective of the Year” by the Morris County Detectives Association for his work as the lead detective in a homicide investigation involving human remains discovered in a remote section of Morris County.
He advanced through the ranks of the Prosecutor’s Office, serving as sergeant, lieutenant, captain and deputy chief of investigations before being appointed chief of detectives by Prosecutor Carroll in February 2023. As chief, McNally led the office’s investigative division and served as a point of contact for Morris County’s 37 police departments, the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, the New Jersey State Police and federal law enforcement partners.
“Bob has always been a talented, dedicated detective whose work made the Morris County community safer and brought closure to countless victims of crime and their families,” said First Assistant Prosecutor Calderwood, who worked with McNally for 23 years. “In the most recent years, I have enjoyed working at his side in this Administration. With no exaggeration, every day I witnessed Bob’s leadership skills employed with wisdom and integrity. Thank you, Bob, for your decades of exceptional work, leadership and friendship.”
Throughout his career, McNally served as a firearms instructor and hostage/crisis negotiator and was a member of the Tactical Narcotics Team. He completed the West Point Command and Leadership Program, FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Association courses, Crisis Mental Health Intervention Training and numerous other supervisory, management and tactical programs.
“Chief Bob McNally has always embodied the highest standards of professionalism and integrity,” said Sheriff Gannon. “I had the privilege of serving alongside Bob and witnessed firsthand his exceptional intelligence, congenial disposition and relentless tenacity. His expertise in major crime investigations set a benchmark for excellence, and his service as a Marine reflects the discipline, honor and dedication he brings to every endeavor.”
His service to the community also extended beyond his professional responsibilities. A longtime member of the Morris County Police Pipes and Drums, McNally has regularly performed at the county’s annual Memorial Day and Veterans Day ceremonies.
McNally is married to Sarah, a longtime employee of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, and they have three sons, whom he considers his greatest accomplishment.
After three decades spent serving in the military, federal law enforcement and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, McNally leaves behind a career defined not only by the cases he investigated and the agency he led, but by the colleagues, victims, families and communities he served along the way.
###
Photo 1: Morris County Commissioner Director Stephen Shaw (left) presents the framed Resolution of Honor to Chief Bob McNally.
Photo 2: Presentation of Retirement Credentials. From left, Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief Bob McNally & First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood.
Photo 3: Morris County Sheriff’s Office Plaque Presentation, Sheriff James M. Gannon (left) & Chief McNally.