For Immediate Release – February 21, 2020
MIDDLETOWN, NJ – At the February 18th Township Committee Meeting, Lieutenant John Kaiser and Detective Lieutenant Paul Bailey were promoted to the rank of Deputy Chief and will join Middletown Township Police Chief R. Craig Weber and Deputy Chief Robert Stefanski in Administration. Kimberly Best was also sworn in as the first female Lieutenant in Middletown.
“I was honored to swear in Middletown’s two newest Deputy Chiefs and to witness the promotion of the Township’s first female Lieutenant in the 92 years of MTPD history,” said Mayor Tony Perry. “The commitment and professionalism of our Police Department is the very reason Middletown is consistently ranked as one of the safest towns in America.”
Four other officers were also promoted to Sergeant and received their Oaths of Office at the jam-packed meeting filled with fellow officers, elected officials, friends and family members. Police Chief Craig Weber spoke briefly about the background and attributes of each officer who was promoted.
“So many of our newly-promoted officers come from families of Law Enforcement professionals, many of whom have honorably served the Middletown Township Police Department,” said Police Chief Craig Weber. “These fine individuals are carrying on their family’s legacy of protecting our community and I have no doubt that they will make us proud in their new ranks.”
Officer Bios
Deputy Chief John E. Kaiser
Deputy Chief John E. Kaiser, a lifelong resident of Middletown, graduated from Middletown High School North before attending Eastern Kentucky University where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Police Administration and Management with a minor emphasis in Corrections and Juvenile Services. After graduating from Eastern, he was employed by the Wilmore Police Department before returning home and beginning his career in 1997 with the Middletown Township Police Department. During his 22+ years with the MTPD, he has served in a number of capacities and functions including, Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, SWAT/Tactical Operator, Sniper/Observer Team Leader, Police Instructor and Trainer, Patrol Sergeant, Administrative Assistant to the Chief of Police, Homeland Security Liaison, Background and Hiring Coordinator, Police Auxiliary and Academy Liaison and Director as well as Patrol Shift Supervisor. His most recent assignment was serving as the Bureau Commander for the Records and Service Bureau. Prior to being transferred to the Records and Service Bureau, Deputy Chief Kaiser served as a Lieutenant/Watch Commander in the Patrol Bureau for 5 years. He also serves in the capacity of a Staff Instructor with the Monmouth County Police Academy, where he serves as the Course Coordinator for Methods of Instruction (MOI), and also co-instructor in matters such as Use of Force, OPRA, Active Shooter, Emergency Vehicles Operations and Firearms Instructor. He also completed his graduate studies at FDU in the MAS Program and holds a Master of Administrative Science as well as a Certificate in School Safety Administration.
Deputy Chief Kaiser continues to serve the community as an active member of the Middletown Township First Aid and Rescue Squad with over 30 years of service, as a member of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2179, The Ancient Order of Hibernians, Monmouth Division 2, Saint Catherine’s Church and the Ideal Beach Community Association. He lives in the East Keansburg section of the Township with his two children, Katherine (13) and Emmett (9). His father, John, retired from the Middletown Twp. Police Department in November 1999, as a Detective First Class, after over 31 –years of service with the department. Deputy Chief Kaiser’s two younger brothers are also active law enforcement officers; Lieutenant Patrick B. Kaiser, United States Park Police, and Sergeant Michael J. Kaiser, New Jersey Department of Corrections.
Deputy Chief Paul Bailey:
Deputy Chief Paul Bailey was born and raised in Middletown. After attending Middletown High School South, he graduated from Glassboro State College (now Rowan University) in 1991 and graduated from the New Jersey State Police Academy, 192nd Municipal Class in 1996. Prior to starting his career with the Middletown Township Police Department in October of 2000, he was a Patrolman with Wildwood Police Department for five years.
Deputy Chief Bailey has served in many positions in the agency including Patrolman, Detective, Sergeant and Lieutenant. In June of 2015, he was assigned as the Commander of the Detective Bureau, where he served until being promoted to Deputy Chief. He has also served as an instructor with the agency, the Bayshore Task Force, and at the Monmouth County Police Academy. He has been selected to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy in the summer of 2020 as a member of FBINA Class 281.
Deputy Chief Bailey is married to his wife of 15 years, Denise. They have two children, Jack (13) and Grace (11).
Lieutenant Kimberly Best:
Lieutenant Kimberly Best was raised in Port Monmouth and is a 1990 graduate of Middletown Township High School North. She attended Rutgers University, graduating in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts in History. She was hired as a Monmouth County Sheriff’s Officer in 1997 and graduated from Monmouth County Police Academy prior to being hired as a Patrolman with the Middletown Township Police Department in July of 1997. Lieutenant Best served in the Patrol Division and the Detective Bureau in the Juvenile and Special Victims Units. In January of 2016, she was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and assigned to the Patrol Division as a Road Supervisor. She is also a graduate of the Middletown Township Fire Academy, having served with the Belford Engine Fire Company, and is an EMT and Life Member of the Port Monmouth First Aid Squad. Her father, William C. Best and uncle, Cortlandt W. Best both retired as Lieutenants from the Department. Her cousin David Best retired from the Middletown Township Police Department as a Corporal and her cousin Cortlandt W. Best Jr. is a retired Monmouth County Corrections Officer. She is the mother of one daughter, Molly and currently resides in the Belford section of Middletown.
Lieutenant Antonio Ciccone III:
Lieutenant Antonio Ciccone III is a lifelong resident of Middletown and graduated from Middletown High School North in 1997. He then attended the University of South Carolina and graduated in 2001 with a BA in Criminal Justice.
Lieutenant Ciccone started his career as a police officer in 2005 with Maplewood Township Police Department after graduating from Essex County Police Academy. He was later hired by the Middletown Township Police Department in 2006. After working 3 years in Patrol, he became a Field Training Officer and later a LEAD instructor at the Elementary Schools. He was then promoted to the rank of Sergeant in August 2017 and worked in the Patrol Division.
Lieutenant Ciccone is married to his wife Kristin and has three children, Antonio (8), Luca (6), and Tessa (3).
Sergeant Stephanie Burke:
Sergeant Stephanie Burke is a graduate of Matawan Aberdeen Regional High School, Brookdale Community College as well as Kean University where she obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Accounting. She joined the Middletown Township Police Department in 2014. In addition to her assignment within the Patrol Division, she has served as a Field Training Officer, Explorer Post Advisor, Youth Week Instructor and is a member of the Department’s Crisis Negotiators Team. She currently lives in Holmdel with her husband Gerard.
Sergeant Christopher Dee:
Sergeant Christopher Dee is a lifelong resident of the State of New Jersey. Upon graduating high school, he enlisted in the United States Army serving his Country as a Military Police Officer. During Sergeant Dee’s tenure as a Military Police Officer, he had a variety of postings to include tours of duty in Kosovo and Iraq. Upon completing his enlistment, he was appointed as a Police Officer with the United States Department of Defense. Sergeant Dee attended the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, New Mexico. After graduating he was assigned to the Uniform Division, ultimately attaining the rank of Lieutenant.
Sergeant Dee left the Department of Defense in 2008 and was hired as a Police Officer in Middletown Township. He attended the Cape May County Police Academy and upon graduation was assigned to the Department’s Patrol Division. Sergeant Dee is also a member of the Department’s Emergency Services Unit assigned to the Crisis Negotiation Team. He and his wife Valentina live in Ortley Beach.
Sergeant David Ringkamp:
Sergeant David Ringkamp was raised in Newtown, Pennsylvania and attended Council Rock High School. He graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2004 with a Bachelors in Marketing/Biology. He served in the United States Army as an Infantrymen and Military Police Officer from 2007-2017 and was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant. He served in multiple combat deployments to Afghanistan as well as Guatanamo Bay Cuba.
In 2012, he was hired by Ocean City Police Department and transferred to Middletown Township in 2013. He has served in the Patrol Division and has been a member of Monmouth County Regional SWAT team as well as Middletown’s Emergency Service Unit. He is also a fire arms instructor, rifle instructor, and less than lethal munitions instructor. Sergeant Ringkam currently resides in Union Beach with his wife Amanda.
Pictured from left: Deputy Chief Robert Stefanski, Lieutenant Kimberly Best, Lieutenant Anthony Ciccone, Deputy Chief John Kaiser, Deputy Chief Paul Bailey, Sergeant David Ringkamp, Sergeant Christopher Dee, Sergeant Stephanie Burke and Police Chief Craig Weber
CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS.
###