6 New Brick Township Police Officers Join Force

BRICK, NJ — Six new police officers, including four who have served in the military, have been sworn in to the Brick Township Police Department.

The officers — Daniel Araque, Corey Rackliffe, Jeffrey Maehl, Turner Robbins, Kyle Dudak, and Matthew Farnkopf — were sworn in by Mayor John G. Ducey at a ceremony Tuesday at the Brick Township municipal building. The six are replacements for police officers who retired from the department.

"The men I swore in today all met the high standards that the Brick Township Police Department demands when looking for new officers," Ducey said. "Four of these men have already served our nation in the Armed Forces. I am confident that all six of our new officers will prove to be assets to our police department and our community."

Araque, Robbins and Dudak are beginning the Field Training Officer Program immediately, officials said, while Rackliffe, Maehl and Farnkopf are headed for the Ocean County Police Academy, which starts a new class on Sept. 18.

Officials shared the backgrounds of the six officers:

• Araque is a sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserves, where he has served since 2010. He was deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. He is a graduate of Union County College and Rutgers University and is pursuing a master’s degree in criminal justice at Monmouth University. He previously worked for the Linden Police Department.
• Rackliffe is a 2010 graduate of Brick Township High School and is an Army veteran; he served in the 82nd Airborne Division and was deployed to Iraq. He is a graduate of Ocean County College and Kean University.
• Maehl served in the U.S. Navy as a military police officer from 2009 until 2018 and now serves in the Naval Reserves. He received his bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security from American University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree from John Jay College.
• Robbins is a 2008 graduate of Brick Township High School. He is a Navy veteran and served in Operation Enduring Freedom. He earned his associate's degree from Ocean County College and a bachelor’s degree in Homeland Security from Monmouth University. He was previously was an officer with the New Jersey State Park Police.
• Dudak is a 2014 graduate of Brick Township High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in administration of justice from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a graduate of the Monmouth County Police Academy and previously served with the Sea Girt Police Department.
• Farnkopf is a 2019 graduate of Brick Memorial High School, where he ranked second in his class of 379 students. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in biochemistry at Rutgers University's Honors College. He comes from a law enforcement family and follows his father, two cousins and his uncle on the Brick Township Police Department.

"Throughout my time as councilman and mayor, I have always said that the Brick Township Police Department is the best in New Jersey and I continue to stand by that," Ducey said. "These new officers will be responsible for upholding the outstanding tradition and reputation that has been established since the Police Department’s founding nearly 50 years ago."

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