Politics & Government

Little Silver's Newest Police Officer is Home Grown

Andrew Smith grew up in the borough and has dedicated much of his time to volunteering with the fire department.

Out of 102 candidates for an open police officer position in Little Silver, the council and police department gave the badge to Andrew Smith, a hometown guy who has lived in the borough his entire life.

Smith was officially sworn in by at a council meeting Monday evening before a crowd of onlookers that included many from the town's police and fire departments. An active volunteer in the fire department since he was only 14 years old, Smith is only in his mid-20s and has already risen to the role of Assistant Fire Chief.

Proud parents Bruce and Elizabeth Smith stood with their son as he put one hand on the Bible and raised another, repeating back an oath that Neff read to him. Elizabeth was given the honors of putting the badge on her son's uniform; all of which can be seen in the video that accompanies this article.

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In a way, the ceremony marked the realization of a dream for Smith, whose mother said her son has wanted to be a police officer since he was just a boy. Making his way up through , then and , Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from York College.

"He has always been interested in law enforcement and the fire department in Little Silver," said resident and borough council candidate Dane Mihlon, who has known Smith since he was a toddler by way of nephew Peter Giblin, also a borough police officer.

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"I have watched him volunteer as a fire cadet in the Little Silver fire department and rise to Assistant Chief and was proud to swear him in as an active member of the fire department while I was president of the fire department. He is an excellent addition to the Little Silver police department and the community will benefit from his professionalism and dedication to the community."

Borough Police Chief Dan Shaffery said that while Smith's local residency on his resume certainly helped, it was his volunteer work that best demonstrated why he was the right person for the job.

Smith interned as a part-time dispatcher for the when he was home from college, and once he graduated, he became a full-time dispatcher in . He joined the as a Class II special officer this July after completing training at Cape May Police Academy, and Shaffery said Smith would often come in to work the dispatch desk in his off time.

"When I was in school I looked at different places to work and going into federal and state jobs," said Smith. "But I know if I got into something like that I might end up having to move somewhere, and I like Little Silver. It's a great town to work in and I was fortunate enough to get a job here."

The more experienced officers on the force have been good about mentoring him, Smith says.

"The guys that have been around will show you different techniques to do stuff. If I ever have a question, I go to one of them and they point me in the right direction toward what I need to focus on or look for in a certain situation."

Reflecting on what the new position meant to him, Smith highlighted his gratitude, acknowledging he is thankful to have gotten a job in such a tough economy. He said he is looking forward to serving his hometown.

"It means a lot, and it's really nice because a lot of the people I know from seeing around town. I think that's kind of good because people will be more willing to come to you if they have a problem rather than someone they don't know. It's nice being in the town you grew up in. You know the areas of town, you know the families, you know the kids."

Now that he's been sworn in, Smith has to finish his basic police course training at Ocean County Police Academy, where he is learning everything from arrest procedures to driving and shooting techniques.

"I'm looking forward to just getting out there on the street, taking calls and getting started. I've been looking forward to doing it for so long, so I'm ready to just get out there and get started on my career."


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