Brick’s First ‘Police Appreciation Week’ In Full Swing

Brick police officers open the Brick council meeting, Feb. 17, 2015. (Photo: Brick Twp. Police)

Brick is lit up in blue this week in support of the township’s police department.

The idea of a week of appreciation for the township’s police officers came from Mayor John Ducey, who said he came up with the concept after hearing negative coverage of police in the national media in recent months. So he put the word out and the community responded.

FastSigns donated a banner to town hall, Meridian Health placed blue lights outside of Ocean Medical Center, and town hall was lit up with blue lights as well.

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Brick police officers open the Brick council meeting, Feb. 17, 2015. (Photo: Brick Twp. Police)

“I probably have the best crew of police and civilian staff anywhere in this state,” said Chief Nils R. Bergquist, accepting a mayoral proclamation from Ducey at a council meeting Tuesday night.

Ducey cited several example of exceptional police work by Brick officers in recent months, including an officer who saved the life of a woman at Windward Beach by jumping into freezing water, a group of officers who arrested 22 suspects in the bust of a large drug distribution ring, detectives who investigated a $3,500 theft of a television at Costco and linked the suspects to a $500,000 statewide theft ring, and an officer who responded to an incident of vandalism with a paint ball gun and helped the family clean up afterward.

“The Brick Township Police Department consist of 129 sworn members who, under the leadership of Police Chief Rick Bergquist , work every day of the year to keep Brick Township safe and make our hometown one of the best in New Jersey to live, work and raise a family,” the proclamation stated.