Warm Sendoff For Supervisor Of Detectives In Manalapan

MANALAPAN, NJ — After 26 years of service to the Manalapan Township Police Department, Det. Sgt. Maggie Freeman officially retired on Friday, July 29, surrounded by fellow officers and their best wishes.

"She was such an asset to the department. We miss her already," said Deputy Chief Leonard Maltese on Wednesday.

Freeman spent the majority of her career as a patrol sergeant, and was reassigned as a detective sergeant in July 2021, supervising the Detective Bureau, according to a Facebook post on her retirement.

The 26 years went by very quickly, Freeman said, but she said her career in law enforcement was "amazing."

"Every day you have an opportunity to make a difference in someone's life," she said, and that is a thought she would impart to new recruits as well.

Freeman is also known for her work as an instructor at the Monmouth County Police Academy, Maltese said.

And she said she often works side-by-side with her father, Monmouth County Undersheriff Ted Freeman. They focus on training in ethics, sexual harassment and decision-making, she said.

But an important focus of her career - and life - has been her role as liaison for Special Olympics New Jersey, the post on Facebook said.

"She spent an immeasurable amount of time as a volunteer and she made a big impact on the children," Maltese said.

Freeman has been involved with the organization since college, she said.

She has a busy year of volunteering on the many fundraisers for Special Olympics. Among the fundraisers she volunteers at are a 5K Turkey Run in Asbury Park, a Polar Bear Plunge in Seaside Heights and a three-day, flag football Snow Bowl at Giants Stadium, she said.

And Freeman works directly with the athletes as a volunteer for the New Jersey Special Olympics held at the College of New Jersey, she added.

For Freeman, Special Olympics "has given me so much more than I could ever have imagined."

She recently met some new tri-athletes. "They are such amazing athletes," she said.

While not the first female officer to serve on the Manalapan police force, she was one of four women on the force before her retirement, Maltese said.

"She has left a profound impact on this department and this community for which we will be forever grateful," the department said in the post.