6 Edison cops, including top in class, graduate from police academy

The seven cops will begin a 20-week in-house training period.

EDISON -- Six township cops graduated from the Essex County Public Safety Academy Wednesday, including the top academic achiever in the class.

Officers John Douvas, Alan Esposito, Michael Gallant, Nicole Errico, Kevin McGotty and Michael Winters finished the 24-week training course. 

Edison Police Officer John Douvas is seen in an official township photograph.  

Douvas received the highest academic honors in the 111-member class, the township said. 

"I am extremely proud that our Police Department's compliment of sworn officers is steadily growing, and that Edison is attracting and hiring well-qualified men and women to protect our residents," Mayor Thomas Lankey said in a written statement, adding that the achievement shows the town's new hiring ordinance is working.

Edison now has 170 police officers. The newest officers, who were hired in April, will start in-house training with 20 weeks of supervised on-duty patrol, the town said. 

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In addition to the newest batch of officers -- a seventh, Michael Goldfarb, was already certified -- the town is interviewing applicants right now, and planning to make the hires by the end of the year. The total number of new hires will depend on money. 

"Our focus is to hire the best qualified, PTC-certified applicants including some already working as police officers elsewhere," Edison Police Chief Thomas Bryan said in a news release. "This would save tax dollars, and it would enable our department to put trained and qualified officers on Edison streets much sooner."

The ranks of the department have been depleted in part by disturbing allegations against officers. One Edison police officer was fired earlier this month after he allegedly pressured a hotel guest to try on lingerie for him while he was still in uniform. He's suing to get his job back. Four others are suspended without pay as they await trial in an alleged retaliation case involving other officers. 

Brian Amaral may be reached at bamaral@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @bamaral44. Find NJ.com on Facebook.