METUCHEN – New police officer Jessica E. Roca brings her “drive and determination” to Metuchen.
Mayor Jonathan Busch swore in Roca, an Edison native, with her parents and grandparents by her side at a Borough Council meeting on Feb. 3.
Roca, who is fluent in Spanish, will become the second female currently serving the Metuchen Police Department, joining Police Officer Kelsey Florczak.
Police Chief David Irizarry expressed appreciation to the administration for giving him a quick go ahead to hire an officer after another officer left.
The council accepted the resignation of Police Officer Kevin Ryan through a resolution on Feb. 3. His resignation was effective Jan. 27.
“I can sum up Jessica in two words: driven and determination,” he said. “Jessica came to us toward the end of December [2018], beginning of January as a dispatcher.”
Irizarry said shortly thereafter he recalled Roca asking him if she could talk to him about becoming a police officer, which he learned was a dream of hers.
“I said, “Sure, no problem.’ She came up to my office and I mapped out a couple routes for her and next thing I know two months later she’s taking a physical exam for the Cape May Alternate Route [Police] Academy. She passed that with flying colors. A couple months later, she took the written exam … she passed that with flying colors and next thing she [attends] the police academy in August.”
Irizarry said he has never seen such a quick turn around from giving someone some guidance to the person becoming a police officer. He said Roca will have a tremendous career with her drive and determination.