Community Policing

COMMUNITY POLICING DIVISION

The Community Policing Division is staffed with a Captain, Lieutenant, two Sergeants, eight Officers and an Administrative Assistant. The division is comprised of five separate units.

tcovertCaptain Terrence Covert graduated from Brick Township High School in 1989 and was hired by the Brick Police Department in 1997, graduating with class #196 of the New Jersey State Police Municipal Academy. Recognized for his capacities as a leader, Captain Covert was assigned to be a Field Training Officer, and in 2001 he was assigned to his high school alma mater as a School Resource Officer.

Captain Covert’s career continued to progress and he earned a place on the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) in 2002. That same year he was assigned to the Detective Bureau. After a brief stint back on Patrol, where he continued as a Field Training Officer, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2005. In addition to his new duties as a supervisor, Captain Covert took over the special units for the motorcycle and bicycle units.

In 2007, Captain Covert was assigned to the Detective Bureau to run the Drug Enforcement Unit. The following year he graduated from the DEA Drug Unit Commanders Class #61 in Quantico, VA.

By 2012, Captain Covert was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant and became the Deputy SERT Commander. Three years later he was assigned as the Deputy Operations Commander over the Patrol Division, and in 2016 Captain Covert was awarded the opportunity to attend the FBI National Academy in Quantico VA. with Class #263.

In 2020, Captain Covert moved from the Patrol Division back to the Detective Bureau in the Investigations Division and served as the Deputy Investigations Commander under Captain David Forrester.

In December of 2022, Terrence Covert was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as Commander of the Professional Standards Division where he oversees the Training Unit, Community Policing Unit, the Traffic Safety Unit, the Class I Special Police Officers and the Crossing Guards.

The Traffic Safety Unit is staffed by one Sergeant and three Traffic Safety Officers. These officers are tasked with investigating all fatal and serious injury accidents that occur in the Township of Brick as well as being part of the Ocean County Fatal Accident Support Team (F.A.S.T).

Media relations is a shared responsibility with the Investigation Division, and is coordinated by Lieutenant James Burgess. It is the function of the PIO to provide more direct access to the department and police related information to inform and educate the public. It exists to provide a chief spokesperson for the department on a consistent basis. The PIO reports directly to the Chief of Police and coordinates responses to media inquiries, provides information about crime incidents, the department, its functions, policies and procedures, programs, services and related events.

Public Information Officer – Ptl. Victoria Finelli 732-262-1158

Ptl. Jennifer LaRocca 732-262-115

Crime Prevention Unit is staffed by three Officers who facilitate the following programs:

  • Neighborhood Watch
  • DARE
  • Not Even Once
  • Youth Prevention Coalition (YCP)
  • Blue Hope
  • Prescription Drug Drop Box
  • Public Safety Cadets
  • Police Camp
  • Special Events

The Professional Standards Unit (PSU) is responsible for the training of all department personnel, issuing of departmental equipment, development of policies and procedures, and conducting background investigations for the hiring of Police Officers, Special Police Officers, Telecommunications Operators, and other clerical staff. PSU keeps records of all training and equipment and is responsible for the Accreditation of the department.

The Special Police Unit consists of one Lieutenant, three Sergeants and twenty-one Special Police Officers. All Special Police Officers are Class I Special Police Officers. These officers perform routine traffic details, spectator control and similar duties. They are also authorized to conduct cell inspections, perform court security and book arrestees, logging the required information into Aegis Law Enforcement Records in the New World System, including fingerprinting and photographing of arrestees.

Anyone interested in applying for a position as a special police officer can fill out an application online at https://townshipofbrick.seamlessdocs.com/f/YDnmdx

Crossing Guards

Crossing Guard Unit consists of one Supervisor and eighteen Crossing Guards. Their responsibility is to control and/or direct vehicular or pedestrian traffic during those time periods of a school day when it is necessary to control traffic or during any special event or program involving pedestrian crossings whenever it is deemed to be in the best interests of public safety.

Anyone interested in applying for a position as a Crossing Guard can fill out an application at
https://townshipofbrick.seamlessdocs.com/f/YDnmdx

The Brick Twp. Police Department recognizes that starting a Neighborhood Watch is the most effective and least costly answers to crime. Watch groups are a foundation of community crime prevention and can be a stepping stone to community revitalization. Your Neighborhood Watch program will help address immediate crime and motor vehicle problems, focus on home security and build neighborhood cohesion by working together with the Police Department.
The goal of this program is to establish a means of communication between residents and the Police Department. This program is an effective way to educate residents on police organization and structure, policies and procedures and the exchange of information. Through the Neighborhood Watch Program the police department can begin to assess and address any specific needs and concerns of the residents.

For those wishing to join the Neighborhood Watch in their area please click here to register for our neighborhood watch program.

Ptl. Victoria Finelli – Community Policing Officer

Ptl. Jennifer LaRocca 732-262-1158

Brick Township Police Department
401 Chambers Bridge Road
Brick, NJ 08723
(732)262-1158

DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) is staffed by two DARE Officers who are responsible to facilitate and organize the classroom instruction of the DARE program within the Township’s Elementary Schools. The DARE Officer’s main function and objective is to promote a positive police contact, and foster a relationship to build trust between the community, schools and the Police Department.

Project Safe Lock will assist residents who, due to advanced age, mobility, medical concerns, and other housing circumstances may be unable to answer their door in an emergency situation.  Project Safe Lock is free of charge to any eligible resident.

Project Safe Lock utilizes a realtor’s style lock box which could be mounted to a door or railing of a home.  The lock box will be owned by the Brick Twp. Police Department.  A key, supplied by the resident, is locked in the box.  When an emergency exists, responding Brick Twp. Police will retrieve this key by using a code which will be stored in our Dispatch Center.

Project Safe Lock members must meet certain criteria and agree to the Brick Twp. Police terms and conditions. Some of the conditions that will be considered are:

  • Live alone or be home alone on a frequent basis
  • Handicapped or medical/physical conditions that make movement difficult
  • Whether the homeowner will be accessible

Participants must:

  • Provide a key (keys) for an entry door to the home
  • Grant the Brick Twp. Police Department permission to access and use the key in an emergency. A waiver form (see attached) must be completed and notarized which will be included in this application.
  • If you should move, you must notify the Brick Twp. Police Department so that we may retrieve the lock box.

As a safety measure, after the key has been removed, the Brick Twp. Police Department can reset the code.

The Brick Twp. Police Department believes Project Safe Lock will provide a safety mechanism for our community where as in the past our officers would have to search for a hide-a-key which often was not placed in the area specified.  Funding for the initial purchases of the lock boxes was provided for by Artis Senior Living.  All those interested in supporting Project Safe Lock should contact the Brick Twp. Police Community Policing Unit. Those interested in applying for a lock box through this program will be able to access an application form through the Brick Township Police website, or they can respond to the Community Policing Office at the Brick Township Police Station during regular business hours.

Project Safe Lock Application

Community Policing
Community Policing
Community Policing
Community Policing
Community Policing

Summer Camp