POINT PLEASANT — With Police Chief Adam Picca retiring this April, the mayor and council promoted Christopher Leonhardt to assume the role, with Loren MacIver to assume the role of captain.
Announced at the Feb. 24 council meeting, Mayor Robert Sabosik said, “Tonight we have the honor to promote two of our finest. I am very happy everyone came out to see this, too.”
With the room filled with friends, family and police from the Point Pleasant Police Department and other neighboring departments such as Bay Head and Point Pleasant Beach, the mayor and council unanimously voted to promote Capt. Christopher Leonhardt to the rank of chief and Lt. Loren MacIver to the rank of captain, effective April 1.
“The surrounding towns and Point Pleasant, we help one another, and we have the same philosophy,” said the mayor. “The thin blue line is the difference between anarchy and what we have, which is a safe environment. So I thank them all for all they do, 24/7.”
During their committee reports, the council members all took the time to congratulate both outgoing Chief Adam Picca, and the incoming chief and captain for their dedication, service and commitment to the town of Point Pleasant.
After Capt. Leonhardt took his oath of office, he took time to say a few words to the council, his fellow officers and the members of the community.
“We are very much entrenched in this town, with a lot of the same beliefs and cultures that exist with the residents of this town. We are very much invested with the development and the security of this town, on both a professional and personal level,” said Capt. Leonhardt. He further thanked the mayor and council for allowing him this opportunity.
“It is easy to say we appreciate the support on a police department level. That word, in my opinion, gets overused, because support is an easy word to say. This is not like supporting your own baseball team or football team. The residents in this town rely on us to be there at some of the worst moments of their life,” said the captain. “That is more of a responsibility that feels more of loyalty and confidence that is much more than just support. For that, I thank you for having that faith in myself and our guys because we will be there for you, whether it be for the good times or the bad.”
He continued, “Every one of us has a story, and it makes a difference when the people of this town believe in us at that level.”
Capt. Leonhardt also thanked Chief Picca for being such an instrumental force for what the Point Pleasant police has become today.
“Thank you for being the most selfless and best working boss I have ever had, it was a pleasure to work for you. To say I have some big shoes to fill is the understatement of the year. He is going to be sorely missed and he better not change his cell phone number,” said Capt. Leonhardt.
He also spoke directly to his fellow boys in blue, “To my guys, I am committed to leading you and committed to the service of the town along with your personal growth. I am going to do everything I possibly can to help you achieve all of your goals. The only thing I ask in return is to maintain the trust the town expects us to have when we are dealing with them.”
Capt. Leonhardt also delivered an emotional thank-you to his wife and children, thanking them for supporting him through all this, and all the times he had to miss games or holidays when he was working.
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