Jackson Chief of Police Matthew Kunz introduced 8 new officers who had recently been appointed to the Jackson Police Department and the officers then took their oaths of office with the Township Clerk.
The new officers are:
Kayla Reale #334:
She is a longtime resident of Jackson and a 2013 graduate of Jackson Memorial High School. She graduated from Ocean County College for criminal justice in 2015 and then from Kean University in 2017. She has most recently worked as a vet tech in Howell and at the Under Armour store at the Jackson Premium Outlets. Officer Reale will be attending the Basic Police Class at the Ocean County Police Academy which begins at the end of April.
Matthew Cilento #335:
He is a longtime resident of Jackson and a 2014 graduate of Jackson Liberty High School and currently an active member of the United States Army Reserve. He graduated the Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO) II class at the Ocean County Police Academy in 2018 and served as a SLEO II with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department. He was hired as a SLEO II officer with the Jackson Police Department in March 2019 and has served in that position until being appointed as a full time officer. Officer Cilento will be attending the waiver class at the Ocean County Police Academy to obtain his full police certification.
David DeJesus #336:
He is a longtime resident of Jackson and a 2017 graduate of Jackson Memorial High School. He then attended Towson University and Kean University. He graduated from the SLEO II class at the Ocean County Police Academy in 2020 and served as a SLEO II officer with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department and the Lambertville Police Department before being hired as a SLEO II with the Jackson Police Department in March 2021. He has served in that position until being appointed as a full time officer. Officer DeJesus will be attending the waiver class at the Ocean County Police Academy to obtain his full police certification.
Michael Zak #337:
He is a longtime resident of Jackson and a 2016 graduate of Jackson Liberty High School. He graduated from Stockton University in 2020 with a degree in criminal justice. He graduated from the SLEO I class at the Monmouth County Police Academy in 2019 and from the SLEO II class at the Monmouth Police Academy in 2021 and worked as a SLEO I and SLEO II with the Deal Police Department until being hired by Jackson. Officer Zak will be attending the waiver class at the Ocean County Police Academy to obtain his full police certification.
Riley Fahnholz #338:
He is a longtime Jackson resident and a 2019 graduate of Jackson Liberty High School. He graduated from Ocean County College in 2021 with a degree in applied science and was most recently employed by Allied Security Company prior to being hired by Jackson. Officer Fahnholz will be attending the Basic Police Class at the Ocean County Police Academy which begins at the end of April.
The following officers were hired through the newly enacted Alternate Route process which is legislation which permits a civil service exam exemption for current police officers who have successfully completed police academy training as approved by the New Jersey Police Training Commission (PTC). This allows agencies in the state to consider police officers who are already trained and experienced for selection.
Kenneth Egan #339:
He is a resident of Manahawkin and a 2005 graduate of Manchester Township High School and attended Ocean County College. He graduated from the SLEO II class at the Ocean County Police Academy in 2008 and served as a SLEO II for the Seaside Park Police Department and Asbury Park Police Department. He graduated from the Camden County Police Academy in 2014 and has served as a police officer with the Camden County Police Department since that time. While there he has served in the patrol division, Neighborhood Response Unit, Criminal Suppression Team, Detective Bureau, Auto Theft Unit Task Force and on an ATF Task Force investigating violent crimes involving firearms. His most recent assignment with the detective bureau was as a member of the Shooting Response Team. After completing in service training, Officer Egan will enter the field training program and then be assigned to a patrol squad.
Anthony Ringle #340:
He is a resident of Lanoka Harbor and a 2003 graduate of the Lacey Township High School. He then attended Delaware Valley College and the Ocean County College. He graduated from the Basic Police Class at the Ocean County Police Academy in 2006 and worked as a SLEO I and SLEO II with the Seaside Heights Police Department before being hired as a full time officer with the Island Heights Police Department in 2007. In 2016 he was hired as a full time police officer with the Plumsted Police Department and his most recent assignment was as a detective. He also served the department as a Field Training Officer, Humane Law Enforcement Officer, Internal Affairs investigator and oversaw the department’s Body Worn Camera Program. After completing in service training, Officer Ringle will enter the field training program and then be assigned to a patrol squad.
Zachery Rodina #341:
He is a resident of Brick and a 2008 graduate of Brick High School. He then attended Ocean County Vocational School and POST University and worked as an electrician. He graduated from the SLEO II class at the Ocean County Police Academy in 2018 and then also the Basic Waiver Class at the Ocean County Police Academy in 2019 where he received his full police certification. He worked as a SLEO II for the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department from 2017-2018 and as an SLEO II for the Howell Police Department from 2018-2019. He was hired as a full time police officer with the Pemberton Police Department in 2019 and then by the Eastampton Township Police Department in 2020 where he served as a patrol officer until being hired by Jackson. After completing in service training, Officer Rodina will enter the field training program and then be assigned to a patrol squad.
Chief Kunz thanked the Mayor, Council and Township Administration for their proactive commitment to not only replace retiring officers but in growing the department to serve the growing township, which is seeing an increase in building and residents. With the addition of these new hires, the department has 110 police officers to serve the 100 square mile township.
We wish the new officers the best in their law enforcement careers.
Captain Steve Laskiewicz #211
Investigative Services Division Commander
Public Information Officer
Jackson Police Department
April 13, 2022
