A retirement ceremony honoring Lakewood Police Detective Sgt. John Marshall brought colleagues, township officials, and family members to the Lakewood Municipal Building this week, marking the end of a 42-year law enforcement career deeply rooted in the community he served.
Marshall, widely known as “Johnny” within the department, is among the longest-serving officers in Lakewood Police Department history. His career spans more than four decades, beginning in 1983 when he started as an investigator with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office before joining the Lakewood Police Department the following year.
Born and raised in Lakewood, Marshall’s connection to the department runs generations deep. His father, Deputy Chief John Marshall Sr., served as both a mentor and inspiration—not only to him, but to a large extended family that followed into law enforcement.
Over the course of his career, Marshall held a range of assignments that reflected the department’s evolution. He was assigned to the Detective Bureau in 1988, later working with the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Strike Force in 1992. He played a role during the early years of the department’s Street Crimes Unit, which later became the Major Crimes Unit, before being promoted to Detective Sergeant in 2000 and ultimately serving in the Internal Affairs Bureau, where he remained until his retirement.
