No. 16 Vol. 2
www.mypaperoneline.com
February 2018
Mendham’s New Chief Of Police Sets Sights On Community Relations
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By Anya Bochman ollowing the retirement of Chief Pasquale Libertino on Jan. 31, 2017, John Camoia, previously a sergeant of Mendham Borough Police, was appointed as the department’s new chief of police. Camoia, who has been sergeant with the borough for 14 years, officially began his tenure on Feb. 1. Camoia, who lives in Budd Lake with his wife Debbie and their five children, has a lengthy career in law enforcement, spanning some 28 years. He first began working as a patrolman
in Mendham Borough in 1993 after receiving a bachelor’s in criminal justice from Mansfield University. He subsequently worked as a detective and then sergeant, before becoming officer-in-charge of the police department in 2017. Initially, the officer-in-charge appointment was seen as a temporary measure until the borough could find a replacement for Libertino. Even then, Mayor Neil Henry expressed confidence in Camoia’s abilities. “He knows all of the members of the po-
John Camoia is sworn in as new chief of police at the Mendham Borough Council meeting on Feb. Photo courtesy/Mendham Township Police.
lice department and is well familiar with police issues facing the borough,” Henry said. “I am confident that, with his training and experience, he will do a fine job as officer-in-charge and give the borough an opportunity to consider all qualified candidates for permanent leadership of the police department.” The job eventually went to Camoia himself, who began his tenure as chief of police on Feb. 1. Originally from Parsippanny, Camoia was first employed by the Mendham Police Department in 1993. “The opportunity came up [in 1993] to go to Mendham,” he said, adding “It’s a nice community.”
Crediting his law-oriented degree as helpful in learning the finer points of local laws and abiding by attorney general guidelines, Camoia is settling into his new role. The basic duties of the new chief of police involve overseeing 12 officers and two civilian secretaries in the department’s day-to-day functions within the borough. As part of his new position’s goals, Camoia intends to continue his involvement with community endeavors such as the D.A.R.E. initiative and EMT work, as well as serving as liaison to the prosecutor’s office. Perhaps the main objective for the chief
is focusing on anti-drug action in schools; citing a brief absence of school resource officers in Mendham, Camoia says that there are now three officers fulfilling the duty. “Their goal is to teach kids how to cope with [pressure to do] drugs,” Camoia said. “It’s law enforcement against drugs and violence.” Although he concedes that drug use amongst the youth is not a “big problem” in Mendham Borough, it is a statewide concern, especially given the ongoing opioid crisis. “We don’t want it to become a problem. We want to educate the kids,” the chief said, addcontinued on page 2