Day 14: There are many tools and pieces of equipment our police officers carry with them throughout their respective shifts. This includes, but is not limited to, first aid and emergency response equipment.  Our Police Officers are required to inspect their equipment at the beginning of their shift, to ensure it is all working properly. Today, Elf Officer Justice was certified to operate an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).  These devices are often used while rendering life saving measures to patients.  Each Lacey Township Police Officer is certified to deploy an AED if necessary, and is required to carry one in their patrol vehicles.

Day 13: As we have faced many obstacles this year during the COVID-19 Pandemic, our police officers have had to adapt too many changes in our daily operations.  This especially includes the way incident reports are accepted from the public. Although under normal circumstances we prefer face to face reporting, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, an officer is periodically assigned to the Records Bureau, where he or she will facilitate all non-emergent incident reports from the public over the telephone. These telephonic reports must meet specific criteria, for example, an incident that does not require the collection of evidence, in order to be facilitated over the phone.  Telephonic reporting is done to limit the potential exposure of COVID-19 to both the public, and our police officers.  Today, Elf Officer Justice was assigned to the Records Bureau and assumed this position.  While we encourage face-to-face interaction between the public and our police officers to ensure strong community relations, this is a temporary policy which will conclude upon the end of this pandemic.

Day 12: As we reflect on our department history, we’d like to discuss the origin of our previous Lacey Township Police Department patch.  In the mid 1960’s Lacey Township introduced their township seal, which includes a nuclear atom, a sailboat, and a pheasant.  Lacey Township is historically known as a fishing town on the Barnegat Bay.  It also became home to, at one time, the nation’s oldest operating Nuclear Power Plant: Oyster Creek Generating Station.  This patch is identical to the official Lacey Township seal, with its only difference being the word, “Police,” incorporated within.  It was worn on the left uniform sleeve of each Lacey Township Police Officer from 1967 to 2009.  Although our uniform police patch has changed in shape and color, we honor its origin by incorporating it into the center of our current police patch.  This symbol can still be found throughout police headquarters.