by Phil Stilton (USMC 1991-1995)

TOMS RIVER, NJ – American veterans are not fit to serve as police officers in Toms River. That was the loud and clear message delivered by anti-veteran speakers at the July township council meeting, led by three councilmembers and their followers, to oppose an ordinance to waive college credit requirements for time served in the military by Mayor Dan Rodrick.

Three Toms River Councilmembers, Republicans Tom Nivison, David Ciccozzi, and James Quinlisk, opposed Mayor Dan Rodrick’s plan to allow future candidates to substitute military service for college credits.

Anti-veteran sentiment was thick in the air

Anti-veteran sentiment filled the room, led by the dissenting councilmembers and their supporters, despite none of the dissenting elected officials ever having served a single day in the military.

Yet, tonight, they were all experts on military training and PTSD.

The heated debate lasted nearly an hour as the three members of the non-sanctioned splinter faction of the Republican party, “Republicans for Toms River,” and their followers fought to the end to block the law, citing that veterans lacked the skills, demeanor, and mental makeup to become police officers in their town.

Fortunately, the remaining councilmembers, Council President Justin Lamb, Council Vice President Craig Coleman, James Byrne, and Lynne O’Toole voted yes, passing the ordinance 4-3.

Mayor Dan Rodrick opened the discussion to praise the sacrifices made by veterans to challenge the belief that a degree in gender studies or liberal arts are more applicable for future police officers than military service. You can read his full speech below.

Phil Murphy appointed prosecutor tries to block ordinance

Council President Justin Lamb dismissed the anti-military sentiment by his fellow councilmembers and false stereotypes that filled the room. He also questioned the intent of Phil Murphy-appointed Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer’s motive to try to put his finger on the scale in the debate.

Billhimer sent a sharply worded letter of opposition to the mayor and council earlier this week against the ordinance, saying that the hiring of veterans in leui of college credits would have negative impact on the quality of officers in the department.

“I’m going to say this hiring ordinance proposed by the administration exceeds the traditional civil service model that I’m familiar with, and that’s employed by the majority of Ocean County Police Departments,” Councilman Lamb, a police officer himself, said. “Nearly half of Ocean County police departments are civil service, and they’ve actually lowered their standards statewide. You can make the argument that maybe the government, the governor of the state, would rather have social workers out there rather than traditional police officers. I can say that this hiring ordinance does, in fact, exceed that of the civil service model. I think the goal of the administration to again open up the pool to more veterans, those that serve in the armed forces, is admirable.”

Council Vice President Craig Coleman said his family is filled with police officers and says he holds a master’s degree, but doesn’t believe that would qualify him to be a better police officer than a veteran. He said the veterans need these opportunities and thanked the administration for presenting the ordinance.

“This smells,” said Councilman David Ciccozzi. “This just stinks.”

Tom Nivison, owner of Silverton Farms, voted no on the ordinance, “This is just a bad thing that’s happening here. But what it comes down to is we only have ourselves to blame.”

The military doesn’t teach critical thinking skills, veterans have PTSD

One councilman said he feared hiring veterans with PTSD who saw combat could lead to problems for the township.

“One of the problems with uh veterans, and again, this is not anything against a veteran, is if you do come out with PTSD or other medical uh uh conditions that may affect your performance, your long-term longevity as a police officer. I don’t believe you’re allowed to ask that of a veteran,” said Councilman James Quinlisk, who lost his bid for re-election in the June GOP primary. “So you can, again, not to offend, but you can come home, you could hire somebody who has some baggage, if you will, that could negatively affect our town. Um, and and and it’s not their fault. They’re put in in in situations that uh that most of us couldn’t survive.”

Later in the meeting, Quinlisk tried to walk back his comments against veterans saying, “A lot of them have skills that are valuable to us. But, just like anything, we can’t lower the the requirements of being a Toms River police officer, just because you were in the military.

“The military doesn’t teach critical thinking skills,” Quinlisk stated.

Mo Hill Supporters bash veterans

Despite former Toms River Mayor Mo Hill being a retired admiral in the U.S. Navy, his cult-like supporters joined in on the military bashing.

“If you’re trained in the army, Navy Air Force Marines, you’re trained at a completely different level as far aslowering our standards for police,” said Lavalette head lifeguard Robert Tormollan, a vocal critic of the mayor. “Do we want to lower our standards for doctors, teachers, mechanics, plumbers? Remember,we want the best possible to get the job correctly, but it’s okay to lower the standards for those who protect us on adaily basis.”

Tromollan finished his statement by saying newly appointed Chief of Police Guy Maire was no qualified to be the chief. Maire is a 33-year veteran of the Toms River Police Department.

“No disrespect, but you’re not qualified to be the chief of police here in Toms River,” he told the chief.

Another speaker said that many veterans served in administrative roles and never held a firearm, “How many veterans are qualified to be a police officer. You can be a veteran and be inside a clerk office. never handled a gun before and they’re not qualified.”

All military servicemembers are required to qualify annually in marksmanship.

“You guys are lowering the standards,” said former school board member Chris Raimann, a dispatcher for the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department. “You need to go through the police academy to see what we do.”

Raimann is not a licensed police officer, despite alluding that he was at the meeting.

Another woman who spoke at the meeting said a person who served as a cook in the military should not be qualified to serve as a police officer in Toms River.

Toms River resident Robert Burns, a Waste Management worker, objected to the ordinance saying he has picked up trash on military bases, “They are trained to work under authority. These guys have lived their lives taking orders and following orders, right and wrong. I’ve observed them. When they run around Fort Monmouth, they run with a goal. People on the front lines, MPs, and bring them into the police department and it’s a good idea. A soldier is trained to enforce order and to kill, but they can be toned down.”

The audience disagreed and called for the council to block the pro-military ordinance.

Mayor Rodrick delivered the following speech:

I want to take a moment to personally update you on recent changes we’ve made regarding the hiring process for police officers in our town — changes designed to support our veterans, strengthen public safety, and address ongoing staffing challenges faced by departments across the state.

Going forward, we have decided to allow military veterans to count their time served in the United States Armed Forces toward the college credit requirements for becoming a Toms River police officer. This means that honorably discharged veterans will no longer be required to complete an additional two years of community college in order to serve our community in uniform. The training and experience gained in the military more than prepare these individuals to take on the responsibilities of local law enforcement. I believe this is the right thing to do, and it recognizes the discipline, leadership, and real-world readiness that military service provides.

Additionally, we are streamlining our hiring process to allow officers who are already certified and serving in other departments throughout New Jersey to apply for positions with the Toms River Police Department. Hiring new officers from scratch typically takes six to nine months — and sometimes even longer — due to academy schedules and training timelines. This process is not only expensive but delays putting much-needed personnel on our streets.

Under our new system, if you are currently a certified police officer in New Jersey, you may be eligible to join our department following a thorough background check, review of your personnel record, psychological evaluation, and medical screening. Given Toms River’s strong community, excellent reputation, and competitive compensation, I believe this will be an attractive opportunity for qualified officers across the state.

Let me be clear: this is not about lowering standards. Officers currently serving in other departments have already completed rigorous training and bring valuable experience to the role. Similarly, our veterans — many of whom have served in combat zones like Baghdad and Afghanistan — have proven their capabilities in the most challenging environments imaginable. If you can serve with distinction in those conditions, you can certainly serve here in Toms River.

Recently, a letter from the prosecutor’s office acknowledged the hiring challenges facing many departments and even commended our efforts to attract veterans. However, it also criticized our initiative as lowering standards. We can’t have it both ways. We either support our veterans and recognize their qualifications, or we don’t. I firmly believe they deserve this opportunity, and I know they will serve our community with honor and integrity.

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to keeping Toms River a safe and welcoming place for all.

Disclaimer: Shore News Network is engaged in a consultant relationship with the Township of Toms River, for media services and media marketing. This article does not reflect the views of Toms River Township and is not published under that service. Phil Stilton, the editor of Shore News Network is a United State Marine Corps veteran and this article was written by him to express the appalling and disgusting stereotypes against veterans on display at the meeting. The people who demonized veterans should be ashamed and offer their apologies at the next meeting.