Hamburg swears in two new police officers

Hamburg — The borough swore in two new police officers at its Mayor and Council meeting Monday night.

New Patrolmen Jeffrey Sokolowski and Devin Gormley will fill the vacancies left after the late-spring resignations of Daniel Farruggio and Robert Vander Ploeg, which were announced at the June 3 Mayor and Council meeting.

Hamburg Police Director Wayne Yahm thanked the council for the new hires, who began their jobs in Hamburg on Tuesday morning, just one day after being sworn in. The extra manpower will allow the department to alleviate scheduling problems and overtime issues that occurred after the resignations.

Councilmen Richard Krasnomowitz and Mark Sena brought up concerns with an uptick in the numbers of speeding-related accidents in Hamburg lately, but the council agreed that increasing police presence in these areas should help relieve the problem.

Each of the new officers comes with full-time law enforcement experience. Gormley, a Jefferson Township resident, is a former member of the Blairstown Police Department and Sokolowski, a Lincoln Park resident, worked for seven years in Haledon and one year on the Palisades Parkway.

Other gaps filled
In addition to the two new officers, Hamburg filled a vacancy on the Board of Heath with Megan Sena and hired Franklin resident Jennifer Giordano to fill the matron position for court duty. Sena can take her spot on the board immediately, but Giordano will need to undergo training before beginning her matron duty.

The council also unanimously approved Brian Sukennikoff’s application to volunteer on the Hamburg Fire Department.