Manchester Police Swear In 2 New Patrolmen

MANCHESTER, NJ -- Two new patrol officers joined the Manchester Township Police Department on Tuesday when the pair were sworn in during a ceremony at the municipal complex. 

Conner Yatauro and Keith Douglas, both of whom grew up in Manchester, were administered their oaths by Mayor Kenneth T. Palmer in front of family, friends and police personnel.

The two were hired after an extensive screening process that began in January with more than 230 applicants, Police Chief Lisa Parker said.

“This hiring process is one of the best and most extensive in the state of New Jersey," Parker said. "Our goal is to select the absolute best officers, upstanding individuals who will proudly serve our department and the community.”

The applicants participated in the physical agility examination held at Manchester Township High School. The test consisted of pull-ups, push-ups, sit-ups, squat thrusts, and a 1-mile run. Those applicants who achieved a passing score advanced to the boxing component of the test, officials said, and about half of the applicants completed all phases of the physical exam successfully and advanced to the written examination in February. 

The applicants who were the top scorers on the written exam then had extensive interviews with the Oral Board, officials said, and the top candidates underwent a thorough background investigation and passed medical, psychological, and drug screenings, before Yatauro and Douglas were selected. 

Yatauro has been a Manchester Township resident for 23 years. He graduated from Monsignor Donovan High School in 2010, where he played varsity lacrosse and soccer and was named an All-American by U.S. Lacrosse. He graduated from the University of Hartford with an accounting degree before pursuing his law enforcement career. Yatauro was hired as a seasonal officer with the Point Pleasant Beach Police Department in December 2015 and graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy SLEO Class 39.

Douglas has lived in Manchester for most of his life and is a 2011 Manchester Township High School graduate. He was a member of the track and field team and was named MVP in 2010. Douglas is currently completing his education at Ocean County College, and has volunteered countless hours as an auxiliary police officer with Manchester since 2013. Prior to joining the Manchester force, Douglas was employed as a Class II Officer with the Lakehurst Borough Police. 

Yatauro and Douglas will go through the Manchester police department’s intensive 12-week field training and evaluation program, during  which time they will be instructed and mentored by several highly trained and seasoned officers. Upon successful completion of the field training program, they will be assigned to a patrol squad.

“We could do none of this without the support of Mayor Palmer and the Township Council," Parker said. "It is with their support that all of this is possible, and I say this with sincerity and appreciation for their ongoing support.”

(Manchester Mayor Kenneth T. Palmer, Patrolmen Keith Douglas and Conner Yatauro, and Chief Lisa Parker. Photo by Greg Kyriakakis)