MANALAPAN – The Township Committee has hired two full-time police officers and two part-time special officers for the Manalapan Police Department.
All four men were sworn in as members of the police department during the Dec. 11 meeting of the governing body.
The new full-time officers, both of whom were named as one-year probationary officers, are Kyle Williams and Jeffrey Mattson. The effective date of their hire was Dec. 12 and each man will be paid at the police academy step on the current salary guide, which municipal officials said is $37,104.
According to Police Capt. Thomas Barstow, Williams, 26, graduated from Rutgers University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In 2015, Williams was hired as a Class II special officer by the Sea Girt Police Department and graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy Class in May 2016.
In February 2017, Manalapan hired Williams as a Class II special officer. He will receive additional training at the Monmouth County Police Academy and will work in the Patrol Division as a full-time officer, Barstow said.
Mattson, 25, graduated from Monmouth University in 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In 2015, Mattson was hired as a Class II special officer by the Belmar Police Department and graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy Class in May 2016.
In February 2017, Manalapan hired Mattson as a Class II special officer. He will receive additional training at the Monmouth County Police Academy and will be used in the Patrol Division as a full-time officer.
Barstow said Williams and Mattson have performed their duties well during the time they have worked as special officers in Manalapan.
The new part-time Class II special officers are Scott Rindsberg and Mantas Stanionis. The effective date of their hire was Dec. 18 and each man will be paid $15 per hour, according to resolutions that were passed by the committee.
Barstow said Rindsberg, 26, graduated from Rutgers University in 2013 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. In 2016, he was hired as a Class II special officer by the Seaside Heights Police Department and graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy in May 2017.
Rindsberg was born and raised in Manalapan and is a volunteer member of the Englishtown-Manalapan First Aid Squad.
Stanionis, 22, graduated from Ocean County College in January with an associate’s degree in criminal justice. In 2016, Stanionis was hired as a Class II special officer by the Seaside Heights Police Department and graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy in May 2017.
Class II special officers are authorized to exercise full police powers and duties similar to those of a permanent, regularly appointed full-time police officer. Class II officers may only carry a firearm while engaged in the performance of their official duties and when specifically authorized by the police chief.
Police Chief Michael Fountain thanked the members of the Township Committee and Township Administrator Tara Lovrich for supporting the hiring of the new officers. Fountain said he was grateful to have the additional personnel.
Committeeman Jack McNaboe said Manalapan’s police officers are well trained and he assured residents the township is prepared for any type of emergency that may arise.
