Officers Promoted, Annual Police Report Given By Stafford Chief

STAFFORD, NJ — New police officers were sworn in and some were promoted at a recent Stafford Township Council meeting, before Police Chief Thomas Dellane gave his annual police report.

Drew Smith was promoted to sergeant. Smith has spent 20 years with Stafford police, and has been in the detective bureau for the past eight.

Class II Special Officer Patrick Walker was promoted to full-time police patrolman. Born and raised in Manahawkin, Walker wants to follow in the footsteps of his retired uncle Officer Rich Sinopoli.

Stafford police hired their first-ever graduate of the Stafford Township Youth Police Academy. Matthew Barnett, a Manahawkin resident and Southern Regional graduate, was part of the second class of Youth Police Academy students. He was hired as a full-time police patrolman.

Also hired as a full-time police patrolman was Jacob Forlenza, who comes to Stafford from Florida. He is a Toms River native and plans to attend the Ocean County Police Academy in January 2023.

Dellane also gave the annual report, giving him what he called a chance to brag about the men and women who work hard in the department.

You can read the entire 2021 report online here.

"It's a great document that kind of summarizes the actions of the police department," Dellane said. He's been putting out the reports since he became chief in 2016.

In 2021, three officers retired and six were hired. Dellane said that the department had been understaffed and as of that evening's meeting, "we are adequately staffed and we've done so in a fiscally responsible manner."

Several officers were awarded as well in 2021, including Det. Erik Smithman for investigating carjacking that led to numerous arrests.

Dellane noted a 20 percent increase in motor vehicle accidents in 2021, but attributed it to there being fewer cars on the road in 2020 due to quarantine.

Auto thefts are also rising in the state, and Stafford police introduced the "9 p.m. routine" in 2021, reminding people to lock their calls and their houses to ensure they are not "easy targets" for thieves.

Dellane also mentioned how much training Stafford police undergo, and that the department has a number of instructors considered subject matter experts "in a number of fields."

"We do have officers that are invited to speak at other police academies throughout the state," Dellane said.

Dellane also lauded the communications center, where dispatchers have worked even harder due to taking on dispatcher responsibilities for Barnegat as well.

It's an "incredibly busy place," Dellane said, with each dispatcher having six computer monitors in front of them as they talk on the radio and answer 911 calls.

One of Dellane's proudest accomplishments is in community policing, calling it the backbone of the department. Stafford provides the On P.O.I.N.T. program to residents, offering mental health services to those in crisis. This is what he's most proud of, Dellane said.

In 2021, there were 215 referrals made by officers to On P.O.I.N.T., and a total of 703 referrals since the program's 2016 inception.

"That may not seem like a great number to you," Dellane acknowledged, but added that a lot of work goes into locating resources and spending time discovering the root of the issue.

"That is where this program is very successful," he said.