Police Look Back On 'Year Of Change' In Barnegat 2024 Report

BARNEGAT, NJ — 2024 was a year of change for the Barnegat Police Department - Chief Keith Germain retired, Chief Jason D. Carroll took over, officials started moving into the new municipal complex and more.

That's all outlined in the 2024 annual report, released Thursday by Barnegat police.

The report shares the highlights of the year. For example, several promotions occurred within the department, five new officers were hired and two retired.

Overall, officers responded to 17,660 calls for service. There were 608 motor vehicle accidents.

Notable incidents are shared from the patrol division, crime reduction unit and detectives. In one case, a man was charged with weapons offenses after he pointed a gun at two dogs and their owner as the dogs barked at him. In another, a suspect was identified as harassing multiple women across several states concerning their social media photos, and charged with cyber harassment. Numerous drug dealers were charged.

This past year, 19 complaints were filed against Barnegat police officers by township residents. Of those, three were found to be sustained. Two resulted in minor discipline and one resulted in major discipline.

On the other side, officers received 250 compliments and notices of positive performance from citizens and police supervisors.

"Every Barnegat police officer is held to a standard of exceptional professional performance and the positive feedback by the public and our supervisors exemplifies those highest standards of dedication and determination," the report says.

Now, police look forward to 2025.

"Looking ahead, 2025 promises to be a transformative year," Carroll wrote. "We are eagerly preparing to transition to a new Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, which will enhance our operational efficiency and ability to serve the residents of Barnegat. Most excitingly, we look forward to operating out of our new municipal building—a space that will allow us to work more effectively and better serve our community for years to come."

Find the full report here.