The Verona Police has promoted Mitchell Stern to captain. In that role, he is responsible for overseeing the VPD’s patrol division, serving as scheduling officer, training officer and technology liaison to the town, and assisting Chief Doug Huber as the VPD’s spokesman.
Stern is a Verona native, having lived in town since 1969. He attended F.N. Brown and H.B. Whitehorne, and graduated Verona High School with the class of 1979.
Stern joined the Verona Police Department in March 1985, after working in the computer departments of several major corporations. He was appointed detective in 1992, and subsequently promoted to sergeant in 1995, and to lieutenant in 1997. He also served for seven years on the Verona Rescue Squad, including two years (1984 and 1985) as its captain.
He is a graduate of the certified manager program
administered by the state of New Jersey and Fairleigh Dickinson University, and is a member of the Certified Public Managers Society of New Jersey. Stern will graduate this December with a bachelors in public administration from Fairleigh Dickinson and is planning on enrolling in the masters in public administration program at Rutgers University that begins next summer.
“My focus as a police officer has always been to give back to the town and to assist those in need,” says Stern. “I recognize that most people will have only one encounter with a police officer their entire life and knowing this, I strive to treat each person that I encounter with respect and dignity, no matter what the issue may be.”
“My vision going forward for our agency,” he adds, “is to make the most out of our resources, both personnel and equipment, allowing us to work smarter and more efficiently.”
