Berkeley Hires 6 New Cops

From left: Officer Mark Osworth, Councilwoman Judy Noonan, Officer Shane Leighton, Chief Karin DiMichele, Officer Derek Mayer, Councilwoman Sophia Gingrich, Officer Robert Kennedy, Mayor Carmen Amato, Councilman Thomas Grosse, Officer Michael Zilavetz, and Officer Christopher Walters. (Photo by Chris Lundy)

BERKELEY – Six new officers will be joining Berkeley’s ranks, after being sworn in at an event prior to the most recent Township Council meeting.

  Information about the officers was provided by township officials. They are:

  • Michael Zilavetz, 32, is currently an officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He served in the Navy from 2009 to 2013, serving in Guantanamo Bay as a Master at Arms. He attended Monsignor Donovan High School (now Donovan Catholic) and Ocean County College, both in Toms River.
  • Christopher Walters, 27, was enrolled in the United Association of New Jersey Air Conditioning and Refrigeration School. He is a Central Regional High School graduate.
  • Derek Mayer, 27, has been in the Air Force Reserve since 2013. He graduated Central Regional in 2008, and has attended OCC, Thomas Edison State University, and the American Public University System.
  • Mark Osworth, 29, worked in heating and air conditioning since 2006. He graduated from Central Regional in 2006, and completed an apprentice plumbing program at the Ocean County Vocational Technical School in Brick in 2008.
  • Shane Leighton, 23, has worked as a part-time booking officer for the Toms River Police since 2013. He graduated Central Regional in 2012, received an Associate’s degree in business from OCC in 2014, and graduated Cum Laude with a marketing degree from Kean University in 2017.
  • Robert Kennedy, 24, most recently worked at Unique Systems of America. He graduated Central Regional in 2010 and Montclair State University in 2015.

All six new officers are from Bayville, officials noted.