Township officials, officers and family and friends were on hand March 14 to recognize Vincent Thurmond who was promoted to the rank of captain in the Hamilton Township Police Division.
by James McEvoy, Managing Editor
HAMILTON — Township officials, officers and family and friends were on hand March 14 to recognize Vincent Thurmond who was promoted to the rank of captain in the Hamilton Township Police Division.
”This is a historic day for Hamilton Police,” said Police Chief James W. Collins of Capt. Thurmond, who was previously a lieutenant. Chief Collins further noted how few officers are able attain the rank of captain and also Mayor Kelly A. Yaede for her emphasis on public safety and her cooperation with the department.
After taking the oath of office, Capt. Thurmond expressed gratitude to God, his family, fellow officers, the mayor and the community for their support.
”I’m only as good as you are,” he said specifically of his officers. “It’s my joy to work with you, to lead you, to help to give you what you need. It’s a great partnership we have. We’ll all just move forward and make Hamilton the best there is.
”I’ve always given my best and I will continue to do that,” he added.
In her remarks, Mayor Yaede lauded Capt. Thurmond and the police division.
”To serve and protect is not something that our officers say, it’s something that they do everyday,” the mayor said, particularly touting Capt. Thurmond’s attention to detail, which she said would uniquely equip him in leading his fellow officers.
Born in Tennessee and raised in a military family, Capt. Thurmond attended high school in Germany and began his service with the township police division in 1988, the mayor said.
He worked as a community policing officer and was promoted to sergeant and lieutenant in 2003 and 2008, respectively.
Capt. Thurmond then took over the division’s internal affairs, a job the mayor specifically highlighted during her remarks.
”That is a difficult job,” she acknowledged. “But he took it on, he dove in head first.”
She also thanked him for his efforts, which she said, help lead the division to receive a perfect score from the American Civil Liberties Union, which tests departments throughout the country as it relates to providing accurate information regarding how to file a complaint against police.
In a press release issued February 2013 in the immediate aftermath of the ACLU testing, the mayor lauded the division, noting that nearly three out of every four departments in the state violated the New Jersey Attorney General’s guidelines that require police to accept complaints without question.
The release stated Hamilton was the only department in the county to earn a perfect score in 2013.
Capt. Thurmond is the recipient of several awards, the mayor said, including honorable service and exceptional service recognition, she said.