Veteran police officers sworn in to new positions
BY PATRICIA A. MILLER Staff Writer

BRICK TOWNSHIP - Family members and friends of six police officers packed the council meeting room during a recent promotion ceremony that was one of the largest in the township's history.

Police Chief Ronald Dougard read each officer's accomplishments into the record before they were individually sworn in by Township Clerk Virginia Lampman before a standing-room-only crowd.

The promotions become effective Oct. 2, when two veteran officers, Capts. Robert Ryan and William Farnkopf, retire after 35 years and 28 years, respectively, with the department.

The total number of Brick police officers remains the same at 128. The number of captains is unchanged at four, along with seven lieutenants and 18 sergeants, said Lt. John Rein.

Lt. James Riccio was promoted to captain. He has been a member of the department since August 1986. Riccio was tapped to serve on a special assignment with the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office on investigations related to "official corruption" in September 2004. Riccio was assigned to work with the FBI in June 2005 and was part of Operation Bid Rid, a federal task force investigation. He returned to the department in July as acting commander of the administrative division.

Riccio was promoted to sergeant in December 1995 and to lieutenant in May 2001. Prior to that, he served as a detective in the detective bureau and also as a narcotics detective on the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force.

Lt. John Rein was also promoted to captain. Rein has been a member of the department since August 1986. He has served as a department firearms instructor and as a member of the department's Special Emergency Response Team. He was assigned as a narcotics detective in January 1995 and served with the Ocean County Narcotics

He was promoted to lieutenant in December 1998. He is currently in the Community Policing Division and supervises the department's emergency medical services unit. Rein is also the public information officer for the department.

Sgt. Edward Waldhelm was promoted to lieutenant. He has been a member of the department since August 1988. Waldhelm has served as a field training officer, a bicycle patrol officer, juvenile detective, narcotics detective with the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force, and as a narcotics detective assigned to the department's drug enforcement unit. He was promoted to sergeant in December 2001. Waldhelm was named Officer of the Year in 1990.

Sgt. Ronald Dougard Jr. was also promoted to lieutenant. Dougard has been a member of the department since January 1995. He became a detective assigned to the department's drug enforcement unit in June 1998. He was promoted to sergeant in August 2002 and supervised a squad on the 4- to-12 shift. He is the son of Chief Ronald Dougard.

Patrolman Henry Drew was promoted to sergeant. He has been a member of the department since January 1995. Drew also served as a detective with the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force and as a detective with the department's drug enforcement unit. Drew was recognized by the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office and the 10-13 Association for his work in the Brittney Gregory homicide investigation. He was nominated for Officer of the Year in 1996 and 1999. He received the award in 2000.

Patrolman Joseph Forrester was promoted to sergeant. He has been a member of the department since August 2002. He was nominated for Officer of the Year in 1996 and has received three performance commendations. Forrester comes from a family of law enforcement officers. His father is retired Brick Capt. Robert Forrester, his brother David is a sergeant in the Brick Police Department, and his brother Robert Jr. is a New Jersey State Police sergeant.