Pennington Council honors former patrolman

Tatur replacement, Mark W. Offerman, was sworn in Monday

By John Tredrea, Staff Writer
   PENNINGTON — A former Pennington patrolman was honored Monday night with an official mayor’s proclamation that praised him highly for his work and as an individual.
   As proclamations go, it is not long at all, but it says a great many things that anyone would have to be quite gratified to hear said about himself or herself.
   To wit: “Officer Kevin Tatur was always reliable, courteous, fair-minded, and willing to learn and teach others.”
   The proclamation, read aloud by Mayor Tony Persichilli at the outset of the Borough Council meeting, also said in part: “Officer Kevin Tatur embodied the principles of an excellent, dedicated and honest police officer.”
   Officer Tatur was a Pennington patrol officer from 1994 until this summer, when he left to take a job with the police department in Huntersville, N.C.
   While in Pennington, Officer Tatur was responsible for creating and maintaining the “Community Policing” model successfully. He will be sent a copy of the proclamation in his honor.
   THE BOROUGH’S newest police officer, who has replaced Officer Tatur on the six-man police force, was formally sworn in Monday. He is Mark W. Offerman, 22.
   Mr. Offerman, who lives in Hamilton, resigned from a patrol officer’s post in Riverton to take the job in Pennington.
   Mr. Offerman is a 2006 graduate of the Ocean County Police Academy. He had been with the Riverton police since May 2007. Prior to that, he worked as a special officer for the Point Pleasant police.
   He has been on active duty with the Pennington police since mid-August. He was picked out of a field of 61 applicants to fill the vacancy left by Officer Tatur.
   Mr. Offerman’s starting annual salary is $39,641. The force is supervised by police Director William Meytrott.