JACKSON – The Jackson Police Department will hire six officers to replace recently retired officers and anticipated upcoming retirements.
In a press release, police department administrators thanked Mayor Michael Reina and Township Council for their continued support of the agency.
Including the most recent hires, the department is currently staffed with 86 fully sworn officers and three Class II special police officers to serve the 100-square-mile township and its 56,000 residents, according to the press release.
A Class II special officer has full police powers, including the use of firearms, but only while he is on duty, according to njlawman.com.
Information about each new hire was provided by the police department.
• Officer Ernest Thomason served as a Jackson Police Explorer (young adults interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement) prior to attending the Ocean County Police Academy, where he was certified as a Class II Special Law Enforcement Officer. He will be attending classes at the police academy to receive his full police certification. He has already worked for the Jackson Police Department.
• Officer John Roth is an intergovernmental transfer from the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, where he has served as a sheriff’s officer since 2012 after attending the Ocean County Police Academy. Roth has worked as a Class II Special Law Enforcement Officer with the Seaside Heights Police Department and is currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
• Officer Joseph Pante was previously employed as a corrections officer with the New Jersey Department of Corrections. He attended and graduated from Brookdale Community College and Rutgers University. He will attend the Ocean County Police Academy.
• Officer Michael Cocchiara served as a Jackson Police Explorer as a teenager. He graduated from the Ocean County Vocational Technical School, Academy of Law and Public Safety, and is a student at Ocean County College. Cocchiara is a member of the U.S. Army Reserves (Military Police Officer) and has worked as a Class I Special Officer with the Bradley Beach Police Department. He will attend the Ocean County Police Academy.
• Officer Matthew Buono graduated from Berkeley College and the Monmouth County Basic Police Academy for Class II special law enforcement officers. He has worked as a Class II Special Officer for the Long Branch Police Department and the Manalapan Police Department. Buono will attend the Ocean County Police Academy to receive his full police certification.
• Special Police Officer Thomas Conti attended Ocean County College and graduated from the Ocean County Basic Police Academy for Class II special law enforcement officers. Conti worked as a Class I and Class II special officer with the Seaside Heights Police Department.
