Manchester Honors Officer With Corporal Designation

MANCHESTER, NJ -- In the months before Scott Thompson died last year, the veteran Manchester Township police officer had a vision of honoring long-time Manchester Township officers for outstanding work in the community and for the department.

On Wednesday, his vision was realized, as Douglas Higgins, a 28-year member of the Manchester force, received the distinction of corporal at a ceremony at the municipal complex’s Civic Center.

Thompson introduced the idea of instituting the corporal recognition in the Manchester Township Police Department shortly after Police Chief Lisa Parker took her oath in March 2015. Thompson “felt it was important to have this distinction to recognize veteran officers with 20 or more years of service who consistently exhibit outstanding commitment to their department and profession,” a news release from the department said.

Higgins, who joined the Manchester force in 1988 after four years as a seasonal officer in Lavallette, is a member of the Traffic Safety section of the department, where he has worked since 2002. He is a highly respected expert in his field and holds numerous professional certifications, a news release said. Higgins also has been recognized by his department and other agencies for his dedication to law enforcement, it said.

Higgins is the second officer to receive the corporal’s badge; Thompson, who died in April 2015, received the honor posthumously.

“Given his long and distinguished career, there is no question that Corporal Higgins is well-deserving of this recognition. I could not be more proud to see him honored in front of his peers and set the bar for what a Manchester Township Police Corporal should be,” Parker said.

Higgins was presented his corporal badgy by Tracy Thompson, Scott Thompson’s wife, with his sons Tyler and Austin, girlfriend Sandy, and his brother officers in attendance.

“This badge is about honor,” Higgins said. “The corporal recognition was an important achievement that Scott Thompson advocated for and I’m proud to be the second recipient within the Manchester Township Police Department.”

Mayor Kenneth Palmer spoke about Higgins’ dedication to law enforcement and his willingness to go above and beyond to help not only Manchester’s residents, but those elsewhere in need of his expertise.

Also in attendance were Eleanor and John Tobias, the mother and brother of Patrolman Robert Tobias, who was killed in the line of duty in 1975, as well as a number of retired Manchester officers.

Following the recognition ceremony, Higgins’ first official duty as corporal was to present Tracy Thompson with a plaque from the American Federation of Police awarding Cpl. Scott Thompson with the American Police Hall of Fame Medal of Honor.

(Photos provided by the Manchester Township Police Department. 1. Tracy Thompson pins the corporal badge on Officer Douglas Higgins. 2. Mayor Kenneth Palmer delivers remarks. 3. His first duty as corporal, Cpl. Douglas Higgins presents Tracy Thompson with the American Federation of Police, American Police Hall of Fame Medal of Honor plaque in honoring her husband, Cpl. Scott Thompson. They are joined by Police Chief Lisa Parker.)