New police chief should be on board this week

The name of Brick Township's next police chief was expected to be announced at the New Year's Day organization meeting.

Township Administrator Scott M. Pezarras and an ad hoc committee composed of Township Council members Michael Thulen, Ruthanne Scaturro and Anthony Matthews were still in the selection process on Dec. 28, the day the Bulletin went to press early because of the holiday.

The new chief will be one of two longtime captains - Douglas J. Kinney or Nils R. Bergquist.

Mayor Stephen C. Acropolis said earlier this month he would step aside in the decision for police chief. Bergquist is his son Robert's father-in-law and Kinney is a longtime friend, the mayor said.

Pezarras said the committee had discussed candidates Friday, but had not come to a final decision.

The committee interviewed both candidates week before Christmas, then gave them a week to submit "position papers" on how they would run the police department.

"I just received the second one about 10 minutes ago," Pezarras said Friday afternoon.

The state Department of Personnel requires a Civil Service be given for the position, but the township plans to ask for a waiver, since there are only two eligible captains for the position, he said.

Captains must have served in the position for at least a year to be considered, he said.

The other two captains, John Rein and James Riccio, were both appointed in the fall.

Neither Bergquist nor Kinney has asked that a test be given so far, Pezarras said.

Longtime Police Chief Ronald Dougard's last day was Dec. 31. Dougard submitted his resignation papers to the state Department of Personnel on Nov. 30. He has been police chief since 1990.

Once the selection process was completed, Pezarras and the committee were expected to make a recommendation to the Township Council. The vote was slated to take place at the Jan. 1 organization meeting.

Acropolis said late Friday that he had heard a decision still had not been reached, but that committee members were "leaning towards" naming Bergquist as the next police chief.

Kinney, who heads the department's patrol division, ran the community-policing unit for 10 years. Bergquist runs the detective division.