BARNEGAT – The community’s first-ever “Casting with a Cop” event, held at the Barnegat Docks, was more than just a local fishing trip for children – it was an initiative rooted in a powerful backstory.
Brandy Hillegass, a 47-year-old single mother of two, came up with the idea for the event. A former dispatcher for the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Hillegass believes it’s crucial for children to learn to respect police officers and know they can turn to them when they need help.
Hillegass also just happens to enjoy fishing – and that love is shared by her 16-year-old son and 13-year-old daughter.
“We have a very good relationship with the Barnegat Police Department because my son has Down syndrome and autism,” shared Hillegass. “I wanted him to become familiar with the local police and vice versa, so we visit the department throughout the year.”
A two-year member of the American Angler fishing club, Hillegass recognized the positive relationship her family had with local officers was something other children would also enjoy experiencing. After talking with the club’s president, Carl Hartmann, Hillegas made her first approach to then-Barnegat Police Chief Keith Germain.
Casting with a Cop is a national initiative that encourages children to get “hooked on fishing” rather than on harmful behaviors like substance abuse. The event offers an alternative to addictive habits, with the thrill of the catch serving as a positive outdoor activity for kids and adults alike.
Both Germain and the current Police Chief Jason Carroll strongly supported the program. The initiative morphed into a collaborative effort between American Angler, the Barnegat Police Department, the Barnegat Township Recreation Department, and the Association of Surf Angling Clubs, Inc.
Due to space constraints at the docks, Hillegass realized she needed to cap the number of participants. School was already out for the summer, but the district did their part by sending out preregistration forms. Within just a couple of hours, the event reached its 75-child capacity, drawing participants aged 5 to 13.
Excitement for the event spread quickly, with over 35 local businesses and individual donors contributing to ensure the first year of Casting with a Cop was a success. Every child was provided a 5-gallon bucket filled with fishing gear. The first 25 children received surf rod and reel combos, while the next 20 were awarded crab traps.
The day was made even more special with visits from the Barnegat Volunteer Fire Co., the Barnegat First Aid Squad, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, which brought K-9 units and a mounted horse unit. Rita’s of Manahawkin provided free ices, and the Lakewood BlueClaws mascot made a surprise appearance.
“Ours was a bit different than the regular Hooked on Fishing event that everyone knows about,” said Hillegass. “I wanted the police to actually be involved with the kids by fishing with them.”
Hillegass described the interaction between the kids and the officers as “phenomenal,” recalling how officers taught the children to use rods and reels and celebrated with them as they caught fish – and even a few crabs.
Children also had the opportunity to see local marine life in a small swimming pool filled with minnows, peanut bunker, mullet, and blue claw crabs. Learning stations were also set up by American Angler volunteers to teach baiting hooks, casting and tying knots.
Winners of the fishing and crab contest were determined by age group as follows: Ages 5-7: 1st place: Luke Monrroy, 2nd place: Ellyana Graziano, 3rd place: Arielle Dempsey. Ages 8-10:1st place: Mikey Hickey, 2nd place: Everett Gomez, 3rd place: Kalvin Prak. Ages 11-13: 1st place: Cole Menner, 2nd place: Ava Ramos, 3rd place: Mikel Sampson. Largest overall fish: Tie between Mikey Hickey and Cole Menner (8.5 inch spot fish). Overall largest crab winners:1st place Victoria Tarnowski, 2nd place Kaitlyn Drago, 3rd place Thomas Starnowski.
“It was a positive interaction between officers and the community, especially the kids,” Hillegass added.
Parents shared that their children enjoyed the event so much that many asked to go fishing again, with some returning to the docks up to five or six times since their first experience at Casting with a Cop.
As it turns out, it wasn’t just the kids and their parents who enjoyed the fishing event. Lt. Nicholas Venuto, who helped with coordination, expressed his excitement about the program, which is also sponsored by “Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs.”
Officers engaged in casual conversations with the children and taught them how important it was to avoid drugs. The thrill of catching fish brought plenty of smiles and an overall sentiment of a fun day.
The Barnegat Police Department donated insurance to all the kids that attended through their opioid interdiction funds. They also sent each of the children home with commemorative t-shirts.
“You had four different organizations and great people from those organizations collaborating as a team to organize this event,” said Venuto. “It was all to give to our greatest asset, which is our kids. To be honest, there was nothing better than the awesome feeling we all had when we left.”
Chief Jason Carroll of the Barnegat Township Police Department commended the event’s success and praised the hard work of those involved: “The dedication and effort shown by our police officers, along with Brandy Hillegass and recreation director Jeanne Broadbent, made this event an incredible success. Bringing our community together in this way is what policing is all about – building trust, fostering relationships, and creating positive memories for our youth.”
