Manchester Command Change: New Chief Sworn, Officers Promoted

MANCHESTER, NJ — Robert M. Dolan Jr. took over July 1 as the seventh police chief in Manchester Township in a swearing-in ceremony that included promotions and new assignments for nine of the department's officers.

Dolan succeeds Chief Lisa D. Parker, who retired after 32 years of service. He began his career with the Manchester Township Police Department in 1993 as a dispatcher and was hired as a full-time police officer in 1994. Since then he served in numerous positions, including detective, patrol sergeant, as a lieutenant supervising the Administrative Services Bureau, and his last position was as captain overseeing the Division of Emergency Services.

"The trust the public has put in me weighs on me heavily," Dolan said after being sworn by Mayor Robert Hudak, with his wife and family joining him. "I promise I will not disappoint you."

In 2016, Dolan managed the Spillman project, implementing a new computer-aided dispatch and record management system. As a captain, he was instrumental in the creation of the Emergency Services Division, which launched in March 2020 and included the rehabilitation of two EMS buildings, the hiring of EMS cirector Robert Baran and a group of qualified EMTs, and purchasing and outfitting ambulances and other equipment. The division grew this year with the addition of career firefighters, which entailed a hiring process and the procurement of a fire truck and other critical firefighting equipment.

The following officers took oaths of office during the ceremony:

Lt. Vincent Manco was promoted to captain. Manco began his career with the Manchester Police Department in May 1999 as a patrolman and has served as a detective, field training officer, firearms instructor, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team member, patrol sergeant, patrol lieutenant, and Investigations Bureau lieutenant. In his previous assignment as lieutenant, Capt. Manco was assigned to the Administrative Services Bureau. He is the first member in the history of the Manchester Police Department to attend and graduate from the prestigious 10-week FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. He has received more than 20 awards, including the Medal of Honor, the department’s highest award.

Promoted to Lieutenant was Sgt. Antonio Ellis, an expert in the field of Traffic Safety who has served with the department since 2000. He played an instrumental role in the upkeep and modernization of the department’s vehicle fleet. Ellis has completed several prestigious trainings, including earning the FBI-LEEDA Trilogy Award, which includes the Supervisory Leadership Institute, Command Leadership Institute and Executive Leadership Institute.

Detective Christian Nazario was promoted to sergeant. Nazario, who has lived in Manchester since 1993, joined the department in 2007 and has served as Police Explorer adviser, auxiliary adviser, and field training officer. As a Narcotics Enforcement Team detective, he was team leader for multiple operations, including a wiretap that was the largest drug investigation in Ocean County.

Detective Danny Barker, who has been with the department since 2008, was promoted to sergeant. He has been a member of the Investigations Bureau as a detective since 2013. Barker served as lead evidence custodian, Megan’s law liaison, and firearms instructor. He also has served as platoon leader of the North Platoon for the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team since 2018.

Patrolman Michael Gardner was sworn in as a full-time officer. He initially was hired by Manchester in 2019, but resigned in 2020 to pursue another law enforcement opportunity. Gardner was an exemplary officer during his initial employment and his return to service with the Manchester Township Police Department was welcomed by both the police department and township administration.

Patrolman Richard Conklin and Patrolwoman Victoria Raub have been assigned to the investigations bureau. A recipient of a Community Policing Certification, Detective Conklin previously served in the department’s Community Affairs Unit. He has also served as a field training officer, GREAT instructor, and DARE instructor. Detective Raub most recently served as school resource officer and juvenile liaison officer, an important role where she built positive relationships with juveniles. She also taught the department’s #NotEvenOnce program and served as a Youth Academy instructor.

To close the ceremony, two corporal designations were presented in recognition of many years of exemplary service as Manchester Township police officers. The designation, proposed by the first Manchester Police recipient of the honor, the late Cpl. Scott Thompson, was introduced in 2016 and recognizes veteran officers with 20 or more years of service who consistently exhibit outstanding commitment to their department and profession. Receiving the designations were Cpl. Christopher Walaszek, who has served in patrol since 1999 and acts as the department’s Law Enforcement Support Office liaison, and Cpl. Brian Collins, who has served in patrol since 2000 and streamlined the prosecutorial process as the Manchester Municipal Court liaison.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Manchester Patch on Facebook.