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BORDENTOWN CITY: Police force welcomes new officers

By Amy Batista, Special Writer
BORDENTOWN CITY — Officials welcomed two new police officers to the department with the swearing in of Samantha Yerdon and Craig Conk at the commissioners meeting Sept. 8.
"It gives me great pleasure to appoint two new officers to the Bordentown City Police Department," said Deputy Mayor James Lynch. "We wish you the best of luck in the academy."
He noted the officers will be attending the police academy and will start in February 2015 when they graduate.
"It goes quick," he said.
City Clerk Grace Archer administered the oath of office to officers with their parents by their side along with the Chief of Police Mathew Simmons 3d and Deputy Mayor Lynch looking on.
Officer Yerdon graduated from Bordentown Regional High School in 2008 and attended Mercer County Community College, then Fairleigh Dickson University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. She lives in the city.
Officer Conk graduated from Allentown High School and attended York College in Pennsylvania where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. He lives in Hamilton.
"It’s our first female full-time officer," said Chief Simmons.
"It was nice," Officer Yerdon said in response to being sworn-in. She is looking forward to "helping the community."
"I was born and raised here in Bordentown City so it feels good to work for the community that I’ve been a part of for so long," she said.
Officer Conk described the swearing-in as "exciting."
"The first five months are going to be tenuous. After that it should be a rewarding job helping people out and making sure everything is safe," he said.
Chief Simmons noted the officers will start at the Mercer County Police Academy on Sept. 22.
He said he hopes to attend their graduation but because he is retiring at the end of the year, "These are my last appointments."
The department has nine full-time officers now and with the two newly sworn-in officers there will be 11, he said.
"I’m very pleased to have both of them," he said, adding they did "very well in their background."
He noted that they "fit right in" as they were raised in the area and are now living in Bordentown. Officer Conk had lived in Bordentown and has since moved out.
"I think they are going to be an asset to the department," he said. "Their demeanor, and what I feel they need here in the city as far as being a police officer is more community oriented and we like that personality that they have. It’s a positive trait for the city."