Manchester Township officials and U.S. Representative Christopher Smith gathered on June 1 for the dedication of ten new police vehicles at the township’s police headquarters on Colonial Drive. The vehicles were acquired through the Byrne Discretionary Grant Program, which provided funding without any municipal tax burden.
Police Chief Antonio Ellis welcomed attendees, including Ocean County Commissioners Jennifier Bacchione and Robert Arace, Mayor Joseph Hankins, Council members James Vaccaro, Michele Zolezi, Sandra Drake—who is a retired police officer—and Congressman Smith. Ellis said that several years ago, then-Police Chief Robert Dolan identified significant concerns with the department’s aging fleet and reached out to Smith for assistance.
“Our department – serving over 45,000 residents across 85 square miles – was facing increasing demands with limited resources. That’s when we put forward a comprehensive plan – focused on restoring reliability, safety, and sustainability, and that plan led to the real results we see before us today,” Ellis said.
Smith said, “Special thanks to Chief Antonio Ellis, then-Mayor and now-Commissioner Rob Arace, then-Chief Robert Dolan, Mayor Joseph Hankins, and the entire Manchester Town Council for their tireless efforts to identify concerns with Manchester Township Police Department’s aging fleet of police vehicles and spearhead this critical request to the finish line.” He added, “Today is an amazing example of what good local governance can lead to. Their remarkable advocacy has reaped tangible benefits for the people of Manchester Township; the nine brand-new Chevy Tahoe SUVs and animal control van that stand before us will actively make Manchester safer and better equipped to fulfill the needs of its residents.”
Ellis also said, “I join with Congressman Smith in thanking our elected officials for their continued leadership and support in ensuring that our officers have the equipment they need to respond safely to calls for service, enhancing public safety here in Manchester Township.”
The Byrne Discretionary Grant Program supports projects designated under federal appropriations law aimed at improving criminal justice system functioning or assisting crime victims other than compensation. Chris Smith is currently serving in Congress representing New Jersey’s 4th district since 1981 after replacing Frank Thompson; he was born in Rahway in 1953 and lives in Manchester Township, according to the office of Congressman Chris Smith.
