Council swears in four patrol officers

Four new officers joined the South Brunswick police force.

By: Sharlee Joy DiMenichi
Four new officers joined the South Brunswick police force Friday.
   Three of the patrol officers will be school resource officers and one will fill a position opened by retirement.
   Detective James Stoddard of the South Brunswick Police Department said the officers will be matched with schools after they complete their police academy training.
   Police Chief Michael Paquette congratulated the new hires, who will earn $31,338 while in the police academy, $37,515 after graduation and $43,693 a year after completing their studies.
   "You have the ability to work for the best police department in the state of New Jersey, bar none," Chief Paquette said.
   The replacement officer’s salary will come from the township budget and the three school resource officers’ salaries will be funded through the federal COPS in Schools program. COPS in Schools is a Department of Justice initiative that provides towns with money to place police officers within the school system. The township will receive $375,000 over three years to hire police officers.
   The grant covers up to $125,000 for each of entry-level officer over a three-year period, with the township footing the bill for the remainder of the salary.
   Including the new recruits, the township police force has 79 officers.
   The new officers echoed Chief Paquette’s high regard for the township.
   "I knew I wanted to be part of the best and they’re known to be one of the best departments," said Nathan Labuda, 23, who has a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice from Penn State University. Officer Labuda worked as an auxiliary officer for the Penn State University campus police.
   "It’s a good township to work for," said new Patrol Officer John Niper, 26, who worked for the township Public Works Department for six years.
   Officer Niper has an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Middlesex County College. His father, Jack Niper, is a retired South Brunswick police lieutenant.
   The new officers’ fondness for their profession matched their enthusiasm for the department.
   "All my life I’ve wanted to be a police officer. I love community relations. I love talking with people," said Patrol Officer Matthew Silverman, 23.
   Officer Silverman has worked as a sky marshal for the Transportation Security Administration and as a U.S. Capitol police officer.
   Another newly sworn officer said he expected policing to be rewarding.
   Robert Fealy, 23, said he intended to become a lawyer when he started college but changed his mind as he encountered frustrated law students and satisfied police officers.
   "I never saw anyone who was really happy being a lawyer and I saw a lot of police officers who liked their jobs," Officer Fealy said.
   Officer Fealy holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of South Carolina and has worked as an officer for the New York City Police Department.
   The new officers are scheduled to start after 24 weeks at the Somerset County Police Academy.