County Police Gain New Captain, Four New Officers

An official ceremony was held Tuesday evening at the Bergen County Administration Building in Hackensack to celebrate five Bergen County police officers. Four new officers were sworn in for official duty. A fifth is the department's newest captain.

For Capt. James Mullin, the event recognized his New Year's Eve promotion by County Executive Kathleen Donovan with the recommendation of Chief Brian Higgins.  

A lifelong resident of Bergen County, Mullin was born in Paramus. He is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and served in a FA-18 squadron on the carrier U.S.S. America. He became joined the Bergen County Police in 1996 and has served as a patrol officer, detective in the Criminal Investigation Division, Traffic Safety Unit commander, liaison to the Parks Department, Operations Division executive officer and Bergen County Security Unit acting director.  As captain, he will serve Chief Higgins as commanding officer of the Operations Division, which governs patrol, traffic safety, emergency services and other specialty units. 

The four new officers are Army National Guard reservist, two-tour Iraq War veteran and degreed nurse Oscar David Lopez, of Bergenfield; trilingual emergency medical technician, U.S. Marine and Iraq War veteran Frank P. Caneja, of Garfield; U.S Marine and Iraq War Veteran and former Presidential Guard and Personal Escort William McMonigle; and U.S. Army Airborne infantryman and Iraq War veteran Jeremiah Nayda, who is finishing his work toward a bachelor's degree in sociology with a concentration in criminology.