Secaucus Hires 2 New Cops, Will Likely Be Assigned To Schools

SECAUCUS, NJ — Secaucus hired two new police officers this week: Mikhail Kowlessar (pictured above) and Anthony Burgos were hired with a base salary of $52,490 per year.

They will remain probationary officers for the first few months, which means they do not have the protection of the police officers' union, but still can carry a gun and perform all the duties of a regular police officer. Both Kowlessar and Burgos were Secaucus 911 dispatchers before being hired as police officers.

Mayor Mike Gonnelli said he actually plans to hire seven new police officers total in 2018, and these are the first two of that batch. This is because he wants to create an official, five-officer detail to be placed at all five schools in town. Following tragic school shootings this year, there has been an armed police officer put in place at each Secaucus school, from Millridge pre-K up to the high school. This is unique compared to other school districts, which have a security guard at schools, but that person usually cannot carry a gun.

Because that specific detail has not been created yet, the current officers are being pulled off other patrols, such as traffic patrols, to watch the schools, said Mayor Gonnelli.

The armed officers will continue to be there in the 2018-2019 school year. So Kowlessar and Burgos will mostly likely be assigned to guard Secaucus schools come the fall. A sergeant will also be assigned to oversee the school unit.

"They are both former dispatchers for the Secaucus Police Department who worked there for many years," Gonnelli said of the two young men. "They are well-versed in our department and I hope the transition will be seamless."

This week's hiring brings the size of the Secaucus police department to 68 officers total, including top brass.

Also at the Council meeting on Tuesday night, officers Christopher Rinaldi and Christina Prospero were promoted to the rank of sergeant, and Scott Coar was promoted to the rank of lieutenant, following the retiring of an existing lieutenant in the department. They are all pictured above and below, along with the two new officers.

To be be hired by the Secaucus police department, you have to take a test. The test was offered on March 31 of this year: https://www.policeapp.com/Entr...

Photos by Carly Baldwin/Secaucus Patch