He was responsible for the efficient execution of the law, regulations, and ordinances; to apprehend or seize civilly if practical, if not by force, and carry them before either of the Police Justices any person or persons who may be found violating the laws of the state or the ordinances of the Town of Boonton. Any person or persons convicted of an offense were punished either by imprisonment for up to 30 days in the county jail or other secure place; or by a fine of no more than $20 for the first offense. The marshal was able to call on any citizen or citizens for help in carrying out his duties. It was further ordained that said marshal receive compensation of $35 per year for his services.

While the duties of the Marshal were outlined in the Town Ordinance, in practice he found himself facing many different problems keeping peace and good order. Complaints of burglaries, theft, assaults, and the discharging of firearms, as well as health and nuisance problems such as drunkenness, noise, and garbage complaints. Taverns serving after hours, and miscellaneous animal complaints, kept the Marshal busy in the early days of Boonton. Other responsibilities that the Marshals had to perform were the lighting, extinguishing, and maintenance of the town’s oil street lamps, and the collection of Town taxes and the upkeep of the police lock-up. Their work hours were set by the Town’s Board of Trustees at 4pm to 4am, with their last responsibilities before going off duty being to ensure the saloons and taverns were closed, and to extinguish the street lights. Marshal James Gilmartin, who was originally appointed in 1881, was the first Marshal to be referenced as the “Chief of Police” in 1901.

On September 9, 1918 the Department lost its first member in the line of duty, Officer Patrick Guiton, who had been performing in the capacity of “Acting Chief of Police.” Acting Chief Guiton had deputized several citizens to assist in making an arrest of four individuals that were “looting a freight (train) car at the Boonton Rubber Works.” After making the arrests, Guiton dismissed the deputized citizens, and as he was transporting the men back to headquarters, one of the four produced a .38 caliber revolver that he had secreted and shot Guiton several times, killing him instantly. During the incident, the gunfire also struck one of the other prisoners, who also subsequently died of his injuries.

The suspect, who was originally indicted for murder, was later allowed to plead guilty to the lesser offense of manslaughter by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office at the time, which drew outrage from the Town, and the family of Officer Guiton. This ultimately resulted in the Town’s Board of Aldermen passing a resolution to petition the New Jersey State Assembly to impeach Morris County Prosecutor John Mills for “failure to perform his duty in connection with the prosecution” of Officer Guiton’s murderer.