Toms River to vote on removing college requirements for some new police hires
College credits would not be required for military veterans or officers transferring from another municipality.
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The Toms River Town Council is set to vote on a plan to eliminate college credit requirements for new police officers if they are military veterans or police officers in different municipalities.
The ordinance got the attention of Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer, who sent a letter to Toms River officials expressing his concerns.
“I firmly believe that reducing entry requirements for sworn law enforcement officers poses a serious risk to public safety, community trust and the integrity of the profession,” the prosecutor wrote in part.
Toms River Mayor Dan Rodrick says that by getting rid of the education requirements, it will make it easier for officers to transfer to the Toms River Police Department.
He fired back at the prosecutor for criticizing the plan.
"Billhimer's own detectives only require a high school degree, as do 194 civil service departments. He is a far-left Liberal hypocrite appointed by the Murphy administration - who place more value on an associate's degree in psychology, than in four years of military service,” Rodrick wrote in a statement to News 12.
The Town Council was expected to vote on the issue following public comment at Wednesday's meeting.
