HOWELL – Four new Howell police officers have recently graduated from the Monmouth County Police Academy.
On June 11, the graduation ceremony of 59 newly sworn law enforcement officers was held at Brookdale Community College. A total of 15 recruits of the 100th Basic Course for Police Officers and 44 recruits from the 51st Basic Course for Class II Special Law Enforcement Officers received their police training commission certifications.
“These fine men and woman demonstrated their commitment to law enforcement by persevering and successfully completing this intense training amid the challenges they had to meet as a result of the pandemic,” Monmouth County Sheriff Golden said. “Becoming a member of law enforcement is a great privilege, since there is no higher responsibility, than maintaining public safety. I’m proud of their accomplishments and commend all for a job well done.”
Of these officers, four were graduates from the Howell Township Police Department. Police officers Jonathan Curtin, David Jimerson and Special Law Enforcement Officers Class II Sabrina Vitale and Daryl Hastings officially became police officers.
Howell Township Police Chief Andrew Kudrick attended the ceremony and was honored to present each Howell graduate with their certifications.
“All (graduates) became police officers during the most turbulent times of my career. They are extremely fortunate to be officers in a community, local government and police administration that strongly supports them. Howell police has a proud tradition of hiring only the best candidates for all positions within this agency. While many departments are struggling for recruitment, we aren’t,” Kudrick said. “The addition of these four new officers is not only a representation of the community we serve, they will continue our commitment to professionalism and excellence. I am proud to welcome them to our police family.”
Patrolman Jonathan Curtin graduated from the University of Scranton with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He was an officer with the Virginia Beach Police Department for the past seven years, with his last assignment as a detective. During his career, he received numerous awards, recognitions and commendations which includes his proactive enforcement of impaired drivers. Curtain is also a nationally certified police mountain bike instructor and has trained police officers from all over the country.
“I recruited Jonathan as he took the Monmouth County Chiefs of Police Entrance examination for police officer. Upon meeting him, his enthusiasm and dedication was evident. Jonathan was completely committed to becoming a Howell police officer,” Kudrick said. “Since out of state certifications are not recognized in New Jersey, Jonathan completed the entire basic course for police officers. He is the first Asian-American police officer in the 50-year history of this police department.”
Patrolman David Jimerson graduated from Howell High School and Kean University earning a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. He left his career as a paraprofessional working with students with special needs to pursue law enforcement.
“David was recommended to me by one of our fine officers who knew he would be a valuable addition to our force. During my first interview with David, I knew this to be true,” Kudrick said. “He is a fine young man with solid values and a strong sense of community. Howell has the largest population of residents with special needs because of outstanding programs within our elementary school system. David’s experience will further enhance our partnership with our schools.”
Special Law Enforcement Officer Class II (SLEOII) Sabrina Vitale graduated from Stockton University earning a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice. For the past year, she was a SLEO I with the Howell Police Department.
“During the pandemic, she was an invaluable member of this department and is directly responsible for the overall safety and health of our police officers,” Kudrick said. “Part of her assignment was sanitizing work areas and police vehicles. Her positive attitude and strong work ethic resulted in an offer to become a SLEO II.”
Special Law Enforcement Officer Class II (SLEOII) Daryl Hasting is a 16-year resident of Howell. He earned an associate’s degree in homeland security from Brookdale Community College and is currently pursuing his bachelors in national security while attending New Jersey City University. In addition, he was a SLEO I with the department for the past year.
“During the pandemic, he partnered with Sabrina to ensure the safety and health of our entire staff. He also was an invaluable member of this department during the past year. His positive attitude and strong work ethic resulted in an offer to become a SLEO II.” Kudrick said.
