HOWELL – A new sergeant and several part-time officers have been sworn in to their new positions in the Howell Police Department.
At the same time the new hires were being welcomed, the department was recognized for earning accreditation from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
Retired South Brunswick Police Capt. Harry Delgado attended the Oct. 18 meeting of the Township Council on behalf of the association and presented the accreditation certificate to Howell Police Chief Andrew Kudrick.
Kudrick thanked Delgado and the association for the recognition and then began the ceremony to swear in the officers to their new positions.
“As chief, I have the honor and privilege to begin, advance and now to continue after retirement the careers of officers who have chosen the prestigious profession of law enforcement,” Kudrick said.
Nicholas Bondarew, who has been handling the police department’s K-9 officer, was promoted to sergeant. He will be a road sergeant on the day squad. Bondarew is a lifelong resident of Howell, he served in the Coast Guard and has volunteered with the Howell First Aid and Rescue Squad.
“Nick was hired in 2002 as a patrolman. As a patrolman, Nick led the department in many proactive activities. He became a patrol narcotics K-9 handler with his partner Yago in 2009 and he continues in that capacity as a sergeant with K-9 Vito. In 2015, he became part of the Crime Suppression Unit, where he remained until his promotion on Aug. 1,” Kudrick said.
Mayor Theresa Berger swore in Bondarew to his new position.
Kudrick then explained the different classes of the officers he would present next to the council and members of the public.
“We have a part-time police officer program known as the Special Law Enforcement Officer program. There are three classes. Class I is basically an unarmed parking enforcement officer doing meter readings and (in beach towns) beach badges.
“Class II officers are fully sworn police officers only when they are working. They have the same authority, the same power, as any regular full-time police officer you see, but only when they are working. Once they are done (at work), they go back to being a civilian.
“The Class III program is a newly instituted program in New Jersey and it is designed to put retired police officers in our school system,” Kudrick said.
Courtney Casterlin, William Crosta and Anthony DeMatteo were sworn in as Howell’s newest Class II officers.
Joseph Burst, Robert Richter, Fred Bauer, Steven Eckel and Eric Sushke were sworn in as Class III officers. Members of the Howell K-8 School District Board of Education were in attendance to support the new Class III program.
“These (Class III officers) are retired police officers who are strictly to provide security in our schools,” Kudrick said.
The Class III officers will “provide a very high level of security for our most vulnerable, which is our kids in our schools and also the faculty and staff. The school board is our largest employer with the daytime population (of all the buildings) being the largest of anywhere in town, so it is one of the credible components of our community that I take very seriously in protecting as chief,” Kudrick said.
The chief told the council members and the residents who were in attendance that “every single day” he thinks about how he can better protect Howell’s schools.