A former Eatontown police chief has been named the new chief of the Monmouth County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (MCSPCA), Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced.
Michael D. Goldfarb of Middletown has been named the MCSPCA’s new chief of law enforcement and will be responsible for overseeing the enforcement of animal cruelty cases in the county, according to a press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office.
Goldfarb succeeds Ross Licitra, who has been the MCSPCA’s chief of law enforcement since May 2015.
Licitra is stepping down from the position after winning a seat on the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders in the Nov. 3 election, according to the press release. He will join the county’s governing body in January. Licitra will continue in his position as the executive director of the MCSPCA.
Goldfarb’s law enforcement career began in 1992 as a patrolman with the Eatontown Police Department. He advanced through the ranks and was eventually promoted to the rank of police chief in 2007, according to the press release.
Goldfarb served as Eatontown’s police chief for 10 years, until retiring in 2018, after 25 years of service to the community.
In August 2018, Goldfarb joined the MCSPCA Prosecutor’s Office Law Enforcement Division as a humane law enforcement officer. In March 2019, he was promoted to lieutenant of humane law enforcement.
Goldfarb is a lifelong resident of Middletown and resides in the township with his wife and family.
“We want to congratulate Chief Michael Goldfarb on the new role,” Gramiccioni was quoted as saying in the press release. “Michael’s enthusiasm for animal welfare, coupled with his extensive law enforcement background and deep roots in Monmouth County, makes him an excellent fit and creates a smooth transition to the role of chief of the SPCA. We would like to thank Ross Licitra for his unwavering dedication to the position for the past five-plus years.”
“Working side by side with Michael, protecting and advocating for the humane treatment of all animals in Monmouth County has been an honor,” Licitra said. “As I continue in my role as the executive director of the Monmouth County SPCA, Michael and I will continue this mission, always remembering the importance of animal welfare.”
Also promoted during a recent ceremony was Michael Magliozzo, a 25-year law enforcement veteran who retired from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office earlier this year as a detective sergeant. Magliozzo was promoted to lieutenant and will work alongside Goldfarb, according to the press release.