Three new, young faces are patrolling the streets of Hillsborough, thanks to the recent hiring of Patrol Officers Brian William Gorka, John Anthony Johnson and Kevin Patrick Kirsh by the township committee.
During a public committee meeting last month, the trio of new hires were flanked by friends and family as they were formally sworn in by Mayor Gloria McCauley. Committeemen and Liaisons to Public Safety Greg Burchette and Carl Suraci, as well as Police Chief Darren Powell, were also on hand to mark the occasion.
Officials said approximately 40 candidates applied for the three positions. After whittling down the potential additions through two separate interviews and background checks, Powell said he was confident in recommending the three newcomers to the committee for final approval.
“We’re just happy to have [Gorka, Johnson and Kirsh] aboard,” Powell said. “They seem like three fine young men and I think they’re going to be a tremendous asset to the police department. Hopefully they enjoy long careers with us.”
Powell said the decision to hire three new patrol officers stemmed from an existing need to fill empty spots on the roster.
“Just getting the boots on the ground and getting up and running and on the street is important in itself,” Powell said. “We had a number of high-quality candidates, but we are very happy with the officers that we selected and brought on board.”
The Hillsborough Township Police Department has an authorized strength of 52 officers. Powell said these three hires gets the department to that limit.
Both Gorka and Kirsh are alternate route academy graduates, meaning they attended their respective county police academies on their own time and at their own expense.
According to officials, Gorka graduated from the Mercer County Police Academy last September. He is 27 years old and served in the United States Navy from 2012 to 2016.
Kirsh is 22 years old and graduated from the Cape May Police Academy in January 2018.
At 21 years old, Powell said Johnson is the most experienced of the three new officers, having been working as a police officer for the Camden County Police Department before joining the Hillsborough department.
That experience, Powell said, will bring a new perspective to the department.
“[Johnson] brings a unique experience, having police experience from a department that’s a lot different than ours,” Powell said. “He’s someone with experience that you don’t necessarily deal with here in Hillsborough.”
All three men will serve on the police department as probationary patrol officers for one year. After that, they will likely remain police officers for another couple of years before being reassigned to other divisions.
“Even after your probationary period, you still have a lot of learning to do as a police officer,” Powell said.
