'Put Their Heart And Soul Into This': Lacey Police Officers Awarded

LACEY, NJ — Being a police officer can often be a thankless, grueling job. But not in Lacey, as township officials took the time at the start of a recent committee meeting to hand out awards to some of the town's officers.

"All our officers deserve awards," said Police Chief Christopher Kenny, though he admitted he doesn't always give them recognition.

"I'm always critiquing, wanting the best, wanting them to be better, wanting them to try and realize that they do put their heart and soul into this department," Kenny said. "They do deserve recognition."

This recognition came from both inside and outside of the department. Isai Fuentes, regional program director at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), was present to hand out some awards.

"These hardworking men and women out there that protect our communities do so much and unfortunately, don't always get a lot of recognition," Fuentes said. "That they rightfully deserve for just doing their job.

MADD teams up with the New Jersey Department of Highway Traffic Safety each year to hand out awards to law enforcement officers.

Sgt. Scott Keefe was given the Recognition of Excellence DRE (Drug Recognition Expert) Award. Patrolmen Shawn Spina and Timothy Swain were awarded the Recognition of Excellence DWI Award.

Kenny then handed out department awards.

Patrolman Christopher Triano was given the "Triumphant Award" for rising above the best of the best in the spirit of competition, Kenny said. This is from when Triano competed in the Ocean County Chiefs of Police Association firearm competition on Oct. 16, 2024. He competed against 71 Ocean County officers and earned first place in the iron sight competition - meaning there was no sighting system, just the regular handgun.

"This is a significant accomplishment, considering two factors. Officer Triano is a young officer with limited experience in these types of competitions and two, there are several agencies within Ocean County that are consistently competitive in these types of competitions," Kenny said.

"If you are unaware of who they are, just keep your ears open," Kenny joked. "And they will tell you."

A Lacey officer hasn't placed first in a firearms competition since 2015, he said.

Patrolmen Michael Hutman and Damian Morrone received the "Exceptional Duty Award" for their service to the public.

The two officers responded to a Forked River home to help RWJBarnabas responders with a mental health crisis. The man was experiencing hallucinations and was in need of a psychological evaluation.

During the evaluation, the man said he was going to get his wallet, but the officers saw him reach for a pair of scissors. Hutman saw that and quickly was able to grab the scissors, and the officers handcuffed the man and hospitalized for treatment. There were no injuries.

Mental health incidents happen often, Kenny said, and by being aware, officers can prevent escalation.

Patrolmen Alan Abrecht and Jason Nilon received the "Meritorious Service Award" for "a highly unusual accomplishment under adverse conditions with some degree or hazard to life and limb to the other."

It was another mental health evaluation that the two officers responded to in Forked River, again assisting RWJBarnabas, on April 3, 2024. The man being evaluated was making suicidal statements and he began walking towards his recliner. He then reached down and grabbed a concealed firearm stuffed in the recliner's cushion.

Quickly and "without hesitation," the officers worked in tandem as Nilon drew his weapon and moved to a tactical position while Abrecht grabbed the man's arm and removed the gun from his hand.

"To be clear, the intent of the male subject remains unknown," Kenny said. "But due to Officer Abrecht and Officer Nilon's quick actions and overall scene awareness, officers quickly eliminated the threat and deescalated the situation without any further harm."

The man in crisis was able to receive treatment at the hospital.

The final award given was the "Grand Cordon Award" which honors individual participation by members who contributed to a significant department-wide accomplishment. This was given in regards to the Jones Road Fire.

Every member of the police department was called to work the night the fire began. They helped with evacuation efforts in Pheasant Run, even though officers and dispatchers live in the evacuation area.

"These dedicated folks left their own families and homes," Kenny said.

Duty called, and the officers answered. Dispatchers, first aid members, firefighters, township officials - all worked together to prevent tragedy.

It was because of this that the Grand Cordon Award was given to the whole police department.

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