FREEHOLD – The Monmouth County Police Academy graduated 31 new police officers recently, many of whom will now go on to serve as full-time patrolmen or county sheriff’s officers.
 
The graduating class trained for nearly 750 hours over the course of 20 weeks in order to complete the 76th Basic Course for Police Officers.
 
In the graduation address, Freeholder Director Lillian G. Burry praised the new officers and said it takes courage, dedication, integrity and good judgment to be a police officer.
 
“Police officers are a special breed of public servant,” Burry said. “All of you will be tested in a way most people do not understand. You will answer the call and place your lives on the line because that is what you are trained to do. You must always be prepared to protect our homes and our lives. As police officers you will make our communities better and safer places to live.
 
Freeholder Barbara J. McMorrow, who also attended the graduation, said it takes a special kind of person to be a police officer. “These brave young men and women stand between right and wrong and keep our communities safe. I pray they all have safe and happy careers.”
 
“Congratulations to all of you on your achievement, and thank you for making Monmouth County a safe place to work and raise children,” McMorrow said.
 
“Through dedication and diligence these officers successfully completed training and attained certification as law enforcement officers,” Sheriff Kim Guadagno said. “I’m proud to have these fine men and women as part of the law enforcement division of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office.”
 
Police Academy Director John G. McCormack said the new officers are fully trained and ready to begin protecting citizens in the communities they will serve. As police officers, he said, they will be held to a higher standard of conduct and are expected to demonstrate an abiding sense of fairness.
 
“The people you serve expect these things from you,” McCormack said.
 
Award winners are: Richard J. Hilliard Jr., Academic Award; Scott R. Horvath, Marksmanship Award; Michael J. Boone, Physical Training Award; Richard J. Hilliard Jr., Traffic Officers’ Association Award, Samuel A. Hernandez, Merit Award, and Mark P. Monahan, Outstanding Training Award.  
 
* A list of graduates is attached.

 

 

 

Michael J. Boone,  Asbury Park

Jeef Cadet, Asbury Park

Nicolas A. Castillo, Monmouth County Sheriffs Office

James R. Conaty, Jr., Howell Township

Sean De Shader, Asbury Park

Donald E. Franklin, Jr., Howell Township

Samuel A Hernandez ,  Monmouth County Sheriffs Office

Richard J. Hilliard, Jr., Woodbridge Township

Scott R. Horvath, Woodbridge Township

Shaun J. Hubbard, Neptune Township

Nicholas J. Kneipp, Alternate Route

Eric C. Mazza, Alternate Route

Michael A. Migdon, Howell Township

Mark P. Monahan, Alternate Route

Daniel A. Murphy, Jr., Howell Township

Derek R. Myers, Long Branch

Joseph B. O’Connell, Alternate Route

Jesse A. Orbach, Ocean Township

William G. Petrovey, Woodbridge Township

Ryan E. Reiff, Alternate Route

Manuel A. Rosario, Monmouth County Sheriffs Office

Kevin A. Schuster, Neptune Township

Michael P. Silvani, Alternate Route

Iliana E. Velazquez, Monmouth County Sheriffs Office

Kaan D. Williams, Neptune Township

 

* Alternate Route indicates those who put themselves through the Academy.