ENGLISHTOWN – The Borough Council has appointed Katelyn Kwiecinski and Michael Makwinski to serve as Class II special law enforcement officers with the Englishtown Police Department.
According to Englishtown Police Lt. Peter Cooke, Kwiecinski and Makwinski both attended the Monmouth County Police Academy where they completed their instruction and earned their certification on May 14.
Kwiecinski, 21, is a Keyport native who became a Class I special law enforcement officer in 2014 with the Sea Girt Police Department. She attended the police academy to pursue her Class II certification in the summer of 2014 and worked as a Class II officer in Sea Girt during the summer.
Kwiecinski is attending Brookdale Community College and is pursuing an associate’s degree in criminal justice, according to information provided by Cooke.
Makwinski, 22, is a Millstone Township native who became a Class I special law enforcement officer in 2014 with the Belmar Police Department. He attended the police academy to pursue his Class II certification over the summer of 2014 and worked for the Belmar Police Department as a Class II special officer during the summer.
Makwinski earned an associate’s degree in social science from Brookdale Community College and is attending Monmouth University in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, according to information provided by Cooke.
The lieutenant said that Makwinski’s great-grandfather, grandfather and father were Carteret police officers, and his brother, Chris, is currently employed by the Manalapan Police Department.
The Englishtown Police Department currently has seven full-time police officers and three part-time Class II special law enforcement officers.
Cooke said, “The Class II officers are authorized to carry weapons. They serve as court officers instead of using full-time officers on overtime. They do prisoner transports and pickups. They work shifts with another full-time officer and assist on calls for service, perform crime prevention patrol and motor vehicle enforcement.
“The hours they work varies depending on the tasks and duties assigned that week and they are frequently called in to assist a fulltime officer or to pick up or transport a prisoner,” he said.
Englishtown had an estimated population of 1,962 residents in 2014.
In other police business, the council amended a section of the municipal code entitled “Special Duty Assignments” so that one section now reads, “The charges for such services shall be $90 per hour, including a rate of $75 per hour for the officer and a $15 administrative fee to be retained by the borough.”
— Peter Elacqua