On the first day of National Police Week and little more than six months after his retirement as Fair Haven’s police chief, Darryl Breckenridge has been appointed director of the Monmouth County Police Academy, Sheriff Shaun Golden announced in a press release today.

“There’s no one I’d rather have lead the Monmouth County Police Academy than Darryl Breckenridge,” Golden said of the 35-year police veteran in the release. “He brings with him a wealth of experience, exceptional leadership skills and shares the vision of maintaining and enhancing training at the academy, which as a result, will continue to produce the finest members of law enforcement who will serve the public.”

Breckenridge began his career in law enforcement as a special police officer in Fair Haven in 1976. In 1977 he left the department to serve in the U.S. Army where he was assigned to the 3rd ID Military Police Division in Germany.

When he returned home from duty, he worked as an investigator at the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and after graduating from the Monmouth County Police Academy in 1985, became a patrolman for the Fair Haven Police Department.

He rose through the ranks and was assigned to the position of detective in 1997. In 2000, he was promoted to the rank of sergeant and then lieutenant in 2002.

Breckenridge achieved his lifelong goal and dream of becoming police chief in 2005 and remained in that position for 10 years before retiring in 2015.

“I’m deeply honored to have been appointed to this position and I thank Sheriff Golden for allowing me this great opportunity to run the Monmouth County Police Academy,” Breckenridge said in the release. “I intend to meet every challenge with enthusiasm and will take pride in providing the most challenging and effective training possible to our police recruits and veteran officers.”

In addition to training basic police and corrections recruits throughout the state, as well as special law enforcement officers and county park rangers, the Monmouth County Police Academy offers in-service trainingcourses to veteran members of law enforcement. Officers from many of the 50 states as well as other countries have trained at the academy. The academy currently has 290 part time instructors.

Breckenridge began as director the week of May 16 and takes over the duties of Undersheriff Ted Freeman, who was the interim acting director. In addition to his vast experience in law enforcement, Breckenridge received three honorable service awards, an exceptional duty award, and in 2008, attended the National F.B.I. Academy.

— Edited press release from Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office