The Toms River Township Council confirmed Captain Guy Maire as the town’s next chief of police, following a meeting marked by public disagreements, council infighting, and controversy surrounding newly adopted police hiring standards.
Maire, 57, a 33-year veteran of the Toms River Police Department, replaces Acting Chief Peter Sundack, who has been on leave. Maire had been overseeing the department in Sundack’s absence and was widely expected to assume the permanent position. He was promoted to captain in September 2024, shortly after longtime Chief Mitch Little retired.
Mayor Dan Rodrick administered the oath of office during the meeting and praised Maire’s longstanding service to the township. “He is a lifelong resident, reflecting his love of this job and his dedication to the people of Toms River,” Rodrick said. “I am proud and excited to have Guy Maire at the helm of the police department.”
Maire expressed gratitude for the appointment, thanking the mayor, council, his family, and his colleagues in the department. “I look forward to working with the mayor and council as well as local organizations to provide the best services to the people of Toms River,” he said, calling the department “the gold standard of law enforcement.”
However, the appointment was not without contention. The resolution confirming Maire’s appointment was added to the council agenda only hours before the meeting. The vote to confirm Maire passed 4–2, with Council President Justin D. Lamb, Vice President Craig Coleman, Councilwoman Lynn O’Toole, and Councilman Bill Byrne voting in favor. Councilman David Ciccozzi abstained, while Councilmen Tom Nivison and James Quinlisk voted against the measure.
Both Nivison and Quinlisk indicated their opposition was not related to Maire personally, but rather to a separate ordinance passed earlier in the meeting that alters the hiring requirements for the township’s police department. That ordinance, which passed by the same 4–3 split, allows military veterans to apply for police officer positions without completing any college coursework. It also permits the hiring of officers from other departments without additional education requirements and restructures the interview process to include the mayor and his appointees, excluding senior members of the police command staff.
Previously, military veterans were required to have at least a two-year college degree, while civilian applicants with no military or law enforcement background needed a four-year degree.
Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer raised objections to the ordinance, writing in a letter to Mayor Rodrick that “reducing entry requirements for sworn law enforcement officers poses a serious risk to public safety, community trust and the integrity of the profession.”
At the meeting, Quinlisk and Nivison requested that Maire publicly share his views on the ordinance before they voted on his appointment. Council President Lamb said Maire was not obligated to respond, citing the chain of command in which the police chief reports directly to the mayor. Tensions between council members escalated during this exchange, and members of the public in attendance responded vocally.
Rodrick defended the changes, saying that the ordinance would expand the applicant pool at a time when the department is facing a wave of retirements. “I believe the United States military prepares you above and beyond to be a police officer,” Rodrick said.
Lamb, who also serves as a police sergeant in Lavallette, said the ordinance’s requirements exceed those of most other departments governed by New Jersey’s civil service system. Coleman added that while military veterans may lack formal education credentials, they often bring relevant real-world experience.
Quinlisk expressed concern about the differences in training between military and police service, particularly as it relates to mental health. Nivison questioned the timing and urgency of the ordinance, suggesting it reflected a broader attempt to centralize control over police hiring.
Rodrick responded that all new hires, including veterans, will still be required to attend the police academy and meet state certification standards before serving as officers in the township.
The meeting concluded with Maire formally stepping into his new role as chief, but broader questions about the township’s hiring practices and the role of politics in public safety remain the subject of ongoing debate.