Meet The Barnegat Police Department's Newest Officer

BARNEGAT, NJ — The Barnegat Police Department announced Tuesday the hiring of its newest officers. Ptl. Joseph Peragine finished in the top 1 percent of nearly 400 candidates.

Peragine, of Barnegat, attended Pinelands Regional High School before earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Stockton University. He then joined the U.S. Coast Guard, earning several awards and commendations as an aviation-maintenance technician.

"Joe is exactly the kind of person we work so hard as an agency to attract," said Chief Keith Germain. "Whether we talked to his previous bosses, neighbors, or supervisors in the Coast Guard, the feedback painted a consistent picture — a talented, yet humble man of great character with an outstanding work ethic."

Peragine will begin training Friday at the Ocean County Police Academy.

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