The Jackson Township Police Department recently marked the retirement of Police Officer Christopher Schinder following a career spanning more than two decades in law enforcement.
Schinder, a lifelong resident of Jackson, was honored during a retirement celebration attended by local officials and members of the department.
Among those present were Mayor Jennifer Kuhn, Council President Mordechai Burnstein, Police Chief Mary Nelson, and Business Administrator Charles Terefenko.
During the ceremony, township officials presented Schinder with a formal proclamation recognizing his years of service to the community.
Schinder graduated from Jackson Memorial High School in 1992 and later earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Ocean County College. He began his law enforcement career in 2000 after completing training at the New Jersey State Correctional Academy, serving at New Jersey State Prison. In 2001, he was named Correctional Officer Rookie of the Year.
He joined the Jackson Township Police Department in 2002 after graduating from the Ocean County Police Academy. For 17 years, Schinder served on the Patrol Division’s midnight shift.
In recent years, Schinder also played a key role in several specialized assignments. In 2021, he helped guide the department’s Accreditation Unit through an extensive compliance process, overseeing a full evidence audit and the submission of more than 1,000 proofs required to achieve departmental accreditation.
Since November 2022, he had been assigned to the department’s Redaction Unit. His work in that role earned him the 2024 Officer of the Year Award for the Special Services Division.
Schinder and his wife, Tara — a detective with the Brick Township Police Department — have two children, Morgan and Matthew.
