COLTS NECK – Officer Thomas Ward has been promoted to the rank of sergeant in the Colts Neck Police Department.
Mayor Thomas Orgo swore in Ward to his new position during the Feb. 13 meeting of the Township Committee.
Ward joined the police department in 2011. He graduated from Rutgers with a degree in criminal justice and attended the Monmouth County Police Academy through the alternate route program.
In the alternate route program, an individual pays his own way through the police academy with the goal of obtaining employment with a law enforcement agency following graduation from the academy.
At the time of his promotion, Ward was serving as an evidence officer and had experience in the Detective Bureau.
“Our department is continuing to move forward with a lot of positive, energetic enthusiasm,” Colts Neck Police Chief Paul Santucci said. “We are here to celebrate someone who worked hard to get here.
“He earned this position through a promotion process which includes a written test and a department interview. Anyone who knows Tom knows he’s a good guy. He’s a genuine person and that’s not something you can study for,” Santucci said.