BY JOYCE BLAY
Staff Writer
Wayne R. Yhost
LAKEWOOD — The Lakewood Police Department paid tribute to outgoing Public Safety Director Mark Dorsey even as it welcomed incoming director Wayne R. Yhost at the Township Committee meeting Sept. 25.
Dorsey saluted his department’s bravest by handing out commendations and awards to police officers as one of his final acts in office. He held the position of public safety director for seven months.
As officers marched single file behind three bagpipe players, they entered the municipal building auditorium to the applause of the audience and a standing ovation.
"Day in and day out, [officers] are doing their job," Dorsey. "[People] take them for granted, but we want to recognize their contribution."
Among those cited were Sgt. Gregory Meyer, Sgt. Paul Daly, Patrolman John Latyshev, Detective Steven Wexler, Patrolman William Rodriguez, Patrol-man Michael McGowan, Patrolman David Sussman, Patrolman Patricia Vandezilver, Patrolman Robert Meyer, Detective James Finnegan, Patrolman James Vandezilver, Patrolman Kenneth Burdge, Patrolman Robert Anderson, Patrolman Patrick Carney, Patrolman Jerome Cohen and Patrolman Joseph Prebish.
The evening’s most poignant moment came when Dorsey read a letter written by a woman who thanked Officer Jerome Cohen for rescuing her from a fire in which she was trapped.
"I didn’t do anything," Cohen had told the woman after leading her to safety. "I’m just doing my job."
The meeting concluded with the introduction of incoming Public Safety Director Wayne R. Yhost, who began work on Sept. 29. Yhost worked 26 years with the Philadelphia Police Department, including the last seven as a senior manager, according to information provided by township officials.
Yhost has supervisory and managerial experience in the patrol, detective, administrative and narcotics bureaus, and he has been responsible for writing and managing multi-million dollar grants for the police department. He is pursuing a master’s degree in public safety from St. Joseph’s University, Philadelphia.
"He can truly be called a cop’s cop," said Committeeman Charles Cunliffe, who has been the committee’s liaison with the police department for the past two years. "We have every confidence that Capt. Yhost — soon to be director Yhost — will bring so much to our department."