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PLUMSTED: New police chief sworn

By Peter Sclafani, Staff Writer
   PLUMSTED — The Police Department has a new police chief.
   Sgt. Matthew Petrecca was promoted to chief and took the oath of office Friday.
   Mr. Petrecca got his start as a police officer in Seaside Heights in 1996 and has been serving Plumsted for 15 years.
   Although Mr. Petrecca’s new position is largely an administrative one, he said he still would be out on patrol due to the lack of patrol officers in the township.
   Township Committee members hope creating the new position will help the Police Department run more efficiently.
   According to the new ordinance, Mr. Petrecca will be responsible for maintaining the order of the Police Department, delegating orders to the officers and enforcing the rules and regulations of the police force.
   Mr. Petrecca had been the officer-in-charge for three years. Making him chief requires he report to the mayor and Township Committee at least once a month.
   Chief Petrecca’s salary was raised from $70,963 to $72,963.
   ”The new rank will allow me to network with other chiefs from different towns, the county and state,” said Mr. Petrecca, who is hopeful he can use his new position to bring more officers and new equipment to the force.
   Chief Petrecca said he has a clear vision for where the department should be heading. His goals include expanding the department’s structure and opportunities to be involved with the community.
   ”Having a chief of police is important for the community,” Chief Petrecca said. “When you have a chief of police, it shows (the community) that there is leadership.”
   At the ceremony Friday, Assemblyman Ron Dancer, former mayor of the township, administered the oath of office.
   He said, “I was mayor when the Township Committee hired Matt Petrecca in March of 1998, and it was an honor for me as assemblyman to officiate the oath of office to Matt and swear him to become Plumsted Township’s fifth chief of police since the Police Department was established in 1965.
   He said that in the Township Committee form of government, a mayor is not permitted by law to officiate swearing-in ceremonies. He has introduced legislation, Assembly bill A310, to amend state law to allow mayors in the township committee form of government, such as Plumsted and Upper Freehold townships, to do just that.
   He noted there have been four police chiefs preceding Mr. Petrecca since 1965. They are Chief Warren Byrne, Plumsted’s first chief of police; Chief Ed Earley; Chief Glen Miller; and Chief Sal Naimo.
   Former Public Safety Director Michael Lynch also was thanked by everyone for “volunteering” his time for the past eight years since his appointment in 2004.
   Mr. Lynch, when appointed, declined to take the $20,000 salary and insisted the money be kept in the Police Department budget for patrolman’s salaries and operating expenses.
   Assemblyman Dancer added, “During the past four years, Matt has established himself as a respected leader of our Police Department and spearheaded the initiative of the mayor and Township Committee from 2009 to 2011 to have the Plumsted Township Police Department achieve accreditation by the New Jersey Chiefs of Police Association and recognition from the National Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies,” Assemblyman Dancer said. “Accreditation is the gold standard in public safety that is only attained by police departments that are in compliance with the highest standards of professional excellence with policies and procedures.”