TOMS RIVER – For many township residents, the words “Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25” represent their community’s commitment to safety. But for one dedicated Class I officer, the signs with that phrase have become a symbol of something else: the reason he’s no longer a part of the local law enforcement agency.
After nearly nine years of service, Todd Garris, a Class I Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO I) with the Toms River Police Department (TRPD), was not reappointed. He believes his dedication to the “Drive 25” program and the placement of those very signs played a role in why he no longer has the job he loved.
The “Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25” campaign, a national initiative to reduce speeding in residential areas, arrived in Toms River in 2023. Funded by the Toms River Police Foundation, the program strategically places yard signs in neighborhoods plagued by speeding based on resident complaints. These signs, meant to remind drivers of the 25 mph speed limit, are said to have become a point of contention when they appeared near Mayor Dan Rodrick’s home address.
Todd’s troubles began on April 7, 2024. While checking on signs along Indian Hill Road in his marked police vehicle, he was stopped by Rodrick, who demanded his name and questioned the presence of the signs, asking if there had been speeding complaints. Garris explained the signs were placed based on resident requests.
Five days later, forty of the “Drive 25” signs vanished from Indian Hill and McGuire Roads. A subsequent TRPD investigation revealed a township employee, driving a township vehicle, had removed the signs. They were later found stashed in the vehicle and parked in the township garage. Garris claims the incident and the ensuing investigation, appeared to be the catalyst for the reason he wasn’t reappointed.
“It seems that my involvement in this program with placing signs based on resident complaints of speeding in their neighborhoods led to political retribution by Mayor Daniel Rodrick,” said Garris. “The signs had been placed in his neighborhood after complaints about speeding, but I did not know this was his neighborhood until April 7, 2024.”
The issue of the signs was first raised before the council on April 24, 2024, when retired Toms River Police Detective Walter Herman questioned changes within the local police department and inquired about the removal of the signs. At that meeting, Rodrick also stated that more special officers would be added to the municipality.
“It’s a personnel issue, and we’re not going to answer the question,” Rodrick responded. “But I can tell you this – digital speed readers don’t stay up for a month, and those signs are not supposed to be up for 10 days. That’s not the procedure. The whole display was up for a month, but we don’t discuss employee matters.”
According to Garris, he first learned that he was in danger of losing his reappointment to the department in September of 2024. Toms River Police Chief Peter Sundack had recently been named as the acting chief, and Garris was informed that the mayor had expressed his intention not to reappoint him as a Class I officer.
“However, the Chief took the opportunity to highlight my strong track record with the department and the quality of my work to the mayor,” said Garris. “Following this conversation, Chief Sundack reassured me that the mayor had decided to reappoint me.”
“Despite reassurances from Chief Sundack that the matter had been resolved,” continued Todd. “On January 3, 2025, I was informed by Chief Sundack that the mayor had made the unilateral decision not to reappoint me as a SLEO1, with no formal explanation.”
Todd was singled out as the only officer within his classification who did not receive a reappointment. Interviewed after the January 29, 2025 Township Council meeting, Rodrick maintained that the issue was a personnel matter and noted that Class I officers hold appointed, not full-time, positions.
Two councilmen, Tom Nivison and Jim Quinlisk, publicly expressed their support for Garris.
“I had never met Todd Garris until he was setting up signs on my road, and my neighbors were thrilled,” Nivison said. “Speaking with him for just a few minutes, I could tell what a wonderful person he was. I believe this should be revisited, and he should be reinstated.”
Quinlisk echoed those sentiments, stating that he hoped the failure to reappoint Garris was either a mistake or oversight on the administration’s part. He cited Garris’ exemplary record and the financial burden of training a replacement.
“It’s an expense for the town to send another guy through the academy,” said Quinlisk. “If we’re about saving money, and we have a nine or ten year veteran in this department, who has already been through the academy and has an unblemished record, it would seem contrary to our Republican values to replace him with a new guy that we do have to put through the academy.”
Todd’s wife, Lisa, also spoke at the January 29, 2025, council meeting, outlining her husband’s extensive contributions to the police department. Over the years, he patrolled parks, assisted with traffic control during emergencies, and provided security during holidays.
“He was a field training officer,” said Lisa Garris. “He worked at special events and took pride in fostering positive community relations.”
Speaking on his own behalf at the same meeting, Todd Garris said that his termination affects the safety of every Toms River resident.
“A once reliable resource for our community is lost,” he said. “There is one less officer and patrol car on our streets. All I ask is to be reappointed as a Class I officer and given the opportunity to continue serving my community.” “I have no political agenda,” he continued. “One person’s misguided beliefs should not affect an officer’s career. Township politics shouldn’t dictate hiring and firing. You are the governing body of this town, and I am asking you to please do the right thing and undo this wrong.”
