New Brunswick Police Department Hires Three New Officers

The New Brunswick Police Department and Mayor James Cahill have announced that three new police officers have been sworn in to the city police force, and a current New Brunswick officer has been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant.

On Thursday, Elfi A. Martinez, Jonathan E. Rivera, and Marvin Shaw, all former members of the Trenton City Police Department were sworn in.

All three of the new officers were laid off from the Trenton Police Force this past September, according to a release from the city.

All three officers will live in New Brunswick as a condition of their employment, the release said.

According to a release from the city, Martinez, 24, was a police officer in Trenton for 18 months. He is a graduate of Trenton Central High School.

Rivera, 24, was an officer in Trenton for 4.5 years. He is a graduate of Ewing High School.

Shaw, 28, was an officer in Trenton for 6.5 years, and is a graduate of Hamilton West High School and attended Mercer County College, the release said.

Martinez and Rivera were hired through the Rice Bill List of Laid off Police Officers, and Shaw was hired to the New Brunswick Police Force through the Intergovernmental Transfer Program after being rehired in October.

Sgt. Christopher P. Plowucha, 39, was promoted to Lieutenant. He was was hired in March 1999 and has served in the Patrol Division, Anti-Crime Unit, and Major Crimes Unit, the release said.

He was made a Detective in 2003 and promoted to Sergeant in July 2008. In May 2011 he received the Meritorious Award for Actions from the 200 Club of Middlesex County for preventing a suicide in November 2010, the release said.

As the ninth and newest Lieutenant with the New Brunswick Police Department, he will serve as Platoon Commander, the release said.

 “These new Police Officers and Police Lieutenant will bring additional resources and talent to what is the best Law Enforcement Agency in the State to provide protection to our residents and visitors” Cahill said, in the release.

"New Brunswick is very fortunate to be promoting and hiring when so many police departments are facing layoffs," New Brunswick Police Director Anthony Caputo was quoted as saying in the release.