Post by Marc LeVine on Nov 29, 2006 10:17:22 GMT -5
Iraq veteran sworn in as Freehold's newest officer
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO
Staff Writer
Patrolman Thomas Fricano
FREEHOLD - When Thomas Fricano was growing up, he could not decide whether a military career or a career in law enforcement would be the best choice for his future. Now, Fricano, 22, has managed to pursue both of those dreams.
Fricano, a resident of Old Bridge, officially became the newest member of the Freehold Borough Police Department on Nov. 6 when he took the oath of office administered by Borough Clerk Linda Cottrell.
Watching Fricano make his commitment to a new career were his fiancée, Jaclyn Barry, his mother, Patricia, and his sister, Donna. His hiring brings the number of police officers who serve the borough to 33.
Fricano, who was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., made the decision to join the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve after the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. He eventually served two tours of duty in Iraq before returning home in August 2005.
Fricano worked as a motor vehicle transporter, operating Hummers and logistic vehicle systems (LVS), which carried weapons, ammunition and other supplies to troops in combat. On his second tour, Fricano once again operated the transport vehicles and served as a machine gunner for the vehicles.
Between his first and second tour in Iraq, he took the civil service test and decided that police work was what he wanted to do for his career. He will remain a a Marine Corps reservist for another 18 months.
Fricano was hired by Freehold Borough on April 3 and entered the Burlington County Police Academy on April 10. He graduated from the academy on Sept. 13 and went to work in the borough on Sept. 14.
Fricano will spend the next three months on the road patrolling borough streets under the supervision of two field training officers. Police Capt. Mitch Roth said Fricano will have completed his training by Dec. 14 and will be patrolling on his own by Jan. 1.
Roth called Fricano an honest, sincere individual and said the new officer also appears to be level-headed and easygoing. He said he believes Fricano's military service has enhanced and complemented his maturity.
Fricano lived in Freehold Borough for five years before moving to Old Bridge. He said he chose to work in the borough because it reminds him of his hometown, Brooklyn, although on a much smaller scale.
"A lot of New Jersey is rural," Fricano said. "The borough has a little of both the rural and the city feel to it."
He said there is a lot more going on in the borough "to keep you on your toes" than may be happening in more rural areas.
His goal is to help people and to make a difference.
When asked if there is a specific area of police work he may want to pursue in the future, Fricano said the most important part of his career right now is to learn the basics of police work before his thoughts move forward to anything else.
said Fricano will have completed his training by Dec. 14 and will be patrolling on his own by Jan. 1.
Roth called Fricano an honest, sincere individual and said the new officer also appears to be level-headed and easygoing. He said he believes Fricano's military service has enhanced and complemented his maturity.
Fricano lived in Freehold Borough for five years before moving to Old Bridge. He said he chose to work in the borough because it reminds him of his hometown, Brooklyn, although on a much smaller scale.
"A lot of New Jersey is rural," Fricano said. "The borough has a little of both the rural and the city feel to it."
He said there is a lot more going on in the borough "to keep you on your toes," than may be happening in more rural areas.
His goal is to help people and to make a difference.
When asked if there is a specific area of police work he may want to pursue in the future, Fricano said the most important part of his career right now is to learn the basics of police work before his thoughts move forward to anything else.
