Surrounded by East Windsor Township officials, police officers and friends, Lt. Jason Hart was sworn into office as the East Windsor Township Police Department’s new chief of police during a special ceremony.
Hart was sworn into office by Mayor Janice S. Mironov at the ceremony on Oct. 6, held at the East Windsor Township Police Department. He succeeds former Police Chief James Geary, who retired Sept. 30 after a 27-year career with the East Windsor Township Police Department.
Hart joined the East Windsor Township Police Department in 2004 after graduating from the Ocean County Police Academy. He had previously served as a special police officer with the Seaside Park Police Department.
Since joining the East Windsor Township Police Department, Hart has served as a defensive tactics coordinator, field training officer, secondary officer in charge, evidence technician, firearms instructor and detective.
He rose through the ranks, earning a promotion to sergeant in 2015. He was a platoon supervisor, Traffic Safety Unit supervisor, and Investigative Services supervisor, where he worked with the police department detectives.
He was promoted to lieutenant in 2020 and served as the commander of the Investigative Services or detective bureau, the Uniform Services or patrol division, and the Internal Affairs unit.
Hart earned several awards, including the Life Saving medal, the Samaritan Officer of the Year award, two Unit Citation medals, the Educational Achievement medal and several Awards of Merit. He received many letters of recognition from his superior officers and the public, officials said.
Mironov praised Hart, noting that he has an “extremely wide breadth of law enforcement experience, and substantial training and credentials, (while) demonstrating performance and leadership.”
“We are confident that Chief Hart brings to this position of responsibility the background and personal qualities which will enable him to be an effective police chief and to continue to develop a high caliber of performance for our department,” Mironov said.
Following his swearing-in, Hart thanked the mayor and Township Council, East Windsor Township Police Department officers, and former chefs of police.
Hart said he was “very excited and truly honored” to have been given the opportunity to serve as East Windsor Township’s chief of police.
“I look forward to many years of continued service with the men and women of our East Windsor Township Police Department on behalf of the entire community,” Hart said.