TOMS RIVER – Eight new police officers took the oath as Mayor Daniel Rodrick announced that three more hires are completing background investigations, bringing the township closer to what he described as its maximum patrol staffing level.
Rodrick said the additional hires will bring Toms River to 95 patrol officers, just three short of a full patrol complement of 98. He said a change in officers’ work schedules has also increased patrol coverage by close to 20%.
“We are proud to welcome 11 outstanding new officers to the Toms River Police Department,” he said. “Each brings valuable skills, dedication, and a strong commitment to public service, and I am confident they will be tremendous assets to our department and to the residents they have sworn to protect and serve.”
Rodrick said officers previously worked alternating weeks of three and four 11-hour shifts. Under the schedule he instituted, officers work four 10-hour shifts each week. He said the change ensures a full 40-hour workweek while giving the department greater flexibility to fill gaps in patrol coverage.
Combined with the new hires, Rodrick said the scheduling change will give Toms River “the county’s most robust police presence on our streets.”
The eight officers sworn in were Christopher Meyers, Badge 481; Joseph Ciaurro, Badge 482; Francisco Flores, Badge 483; Mohamed Ibrahim, Badge 484; Michael Barbagallo, Badge 485; Nicholas Sachs, Badge 486; Steven Schlenger, Badge 487; and John Coakley, Badge 488.
About The Officers
Police Chief Guy Maire introduced each officer before Rodrick administered the oath, describing a group that includes officers who previously served in other departments, two who speak additional languages, a Coast Guard member and others who already worked within the Toms River department.
For Meyers, the appointment brings him back to the community where he spent his early childhood. He earned an associate degree in criminal justice from Ocean County College and began as a Class I special law enforcement officer in Seaside Heights. After graduating from the Ocean County Police Academy, he became a full-time officer in Pemberton Borough.
Ciaurro, a Barnegat High School graduate, also arrives with full-time police experience. He earned an associate degree in social science from Ocean County College, attended the Cape May County Police Academy and worked as a Class II officer in North Wildwood before becoming a full-time Lakehurst police officer. Maire said Ciaurro hopes to use that experience while becoming involved in Toms River community events.
Flores will now serve the town where he grew up. He graduated from High School North and began his law enforcement career with Toms River as a Class I special law enforcement officer before moving to Seaside Heights as a seasonal Class II officer. Flores graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy in April 2025, and is bilingual in Spanish.
Another language skill comes with Ibrahim, who is bilingual in Arabic. A Kean University graduate with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, Ibrahim previously served as a full-time police officer in Paterson after graduating from the Passaic County Police Academy. He is married with two children and has also coached basketball.
Traffic safety is a particular interest for Barbagallo, who has experience with motor vehicle crashes, DWI investigations and traffic enforcement. The Barnegat High School graduate earned degrees from Ocean County College and Stockton University and began his law enforcement career as a Class I special law enforcement officer in Long Beach Township. He has also served as a Class II officer with the Absecon Police Department.
Sachs brings a combination of police, state and military experience. A Kean University graduate, he previously worked with the Lebanon Township Police Department and New Jersey State Parole Board. He also enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where he serves as a maritime enforcement specialist.
Schlenger is already familiar with the department he now joins full time. An Ocean County Police Academy graduate, he previously served Toms River as a Class II special law enforcement officer and worked as a booking officer in the municipal jail. He is also a husband and father of four.
Coakley followed both of his parents into law enforcement. The Point Pleasant Beach High School graduate is the son of two former Elizabeth police officers. He began as a Class II special law enforcement officer in Point Pleasant Beach, attended the Ocean County Police Academy and later joined Toms River as a Class II officer assigned to the municipal jail.
Adding To Patrol
The township ordinance authorizes 113 positions classified as police officers, compared with the 98 patrol complement cited by Rodrick. The difference reflects officers assigned to duties outside regular patrol, according to the mayor.
Rodrick said those assignments include officers working with the FBI and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, four school resource officers and three assigned to special operations. Some assignments were not identified because of the nature of the work.
The latest hires also come after Toms River changed its police hiring requirements in 2025. The revised ordinance broadened the ways applicants can qualify, including through college education, military service or previous law enforcement training and certification.
Rodrick said hiring has been taking place in small groups, but retirements occurring at the same time made it difficult to increase the overall number. With three more candidates now completing the process, he said the department is finally gaining ground.
Following the ceremony, Rodrick said he had met the officers individually and participated in the interview process. “I’m just very excited to have them all on board,” he said. “We’ve brought on some fantastic people. I’m proud of what we’ve done and excited to have them on.”
Maire congratulated the officers and welcomed them and their families to the Toms River Police Department.
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