Brick Police Promote Trio As 31-Year Veteran Officer Retires

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Police Department promoted three officers this week in the wake of the retirement of a 31-year veteran of the township force.

Brick Township Police Chief James Riccio announced the promotions of the three — Timothy Boyle, Vincent Coburn and Joseph Pacitti — at the Township Council meeting Tuesday, and said they were the result of the retirement of Capt. Vincent Pacitti, who retired recently.

"(Capt. Pacitti) isn't here tonight otherwise I would pay him a tribute," Riccio said. The retirement, however, opened a leadership position, he said.

Brick Township Mayor John G. Ducey praised Riccio's efforts during his first year as chief, which included the return of the Bicycle Unit and a multitude of efforts to battle the heroin epidemic.

"One of biggest if not the biggest issue in our town is heroin," Ducey said. "We are fighting on the education front ... we are fighting on the rehabilitation front. And we are fighting on the law enforcement front."

"We have pledged here in this town to fully staff our police force so we have what we need in our drug enforcement unit, our special enforcement unit and what we need in our detective bureau to fight this," Ducey said. "The problem is here. It is much bigger than Brick; it is much bigger than Ocean County; it is much bigger than New Jersey, and our police are out there every single day fighting the issue."

"We have your back here in this town," Ducey said. "We support your efforts and celebrate your accomplishments."

Those accomplishments included the promotions of Boyle, Coburn and Joseph Pacitti.

Boyle was promoted from lieutenant to fill that position. Riccio said Boyle, a 1983 graduate of Brick Memorial High School who served in the Marine Corps from December 1983 to November 1987, joined the Brick Township force in April 1993. In his nearly 24 years in Brick, Boyle has received a number of honors and awards, including Meritorious, Honorable, and Exemplary duty awards, Police Officer of the Year in 2002 and the McNellis Award in 2011. He has been a patrolman, a detective investigating violent crimes, served as part of an Ocean County law enforcement contingent that went to the Gulf Coast to assist after Hurricane Katrina, and has served as president and vice president of the township's PBA chapter. He was joined by his wife, Karen, during the promotion ceremony.

Boyle will command the community policing unit, Riccio said.

Coburn, promoted to lieutenant, is a 1985 graduate of Brick Memorial High School who was hired by the force in September 1994. He became part of the Special Emergency Response Team in 1997 and is currently its commander, Riccio said, and also has served on the police department's Honor Guard, bicycle unit and boat unit. Coburn also has received a number of honors, including Police Officer of the Year, Meritorious Service and the Lifesaving Award. He and his wife, Lena, have two children. Riccio said Coburn will serve as the dayshift commander.

Patrolman Joseph Pacitti, son of the retired Capt. Vincent Pacitti, was promoted to sergeant. Riccio said the younger Pacitti graduated from Toms River North in 2003 and worked for the Ocean County Corrections Department as a corrections officer from August 2005 until he was hired by the Brick Township Police Department in December 2007. In January 2015 he was assigned to the special operations group of the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office, and in January 2016 was assigned to Brick's Drug Enforcement Unit, Riccio said. He has served as a patrolman since September 2016, and has received the Lifesaving Award, Meritorious and Honorable Service awards and numerous narcotics awards, Riccio said. Pacitti will be on the midnight shift in the patrol division, Riccio said.

Photo: Screenshot of Brick Township Council meeting video