by Emma Sylvia
When speaking to Monmouth County residents, I find that so many of them were born and raised here. From Belmar all the way up to Middletown, residents find an abundance of reasons to plant roots here and cultivate them. No one knows this better than Michael Sorrentino, a lifelong resident of Ocean Township. Today, Sorrentino is the Chief of Police in the Township of Ocean, and he sat down with us to talk about his duties, and just what makes Ocean Township truly special.
Moving Up
Sorrentino was born and raised in Ocean Township, attending Ocean Township High School before receiving his education at Monmouth University. Currently, he’s a resident of Oceanport, living with his two children and fiance, and he’s taking advantage of his close proximity to the water, as he’s a big fan of boating.
As a child, Sorrentino was greatly influenced by his father, who served as a volunteer firefighter in Long Branch as well as in the army during the Vietnam War. With this, serving the country and the community was ingrained in Sorrentino at a young age. At 18, he joined the Oakhurst Fire Company as a volunteer. Though he had a desire to join the military right out of high school, Sorrentino’s father instead encouraged him to attend college.
“I was an accounting major,” Sorrentino says. “I realized that I didn’t want to sit behind a desk all day, and I switched to Criminal Justice. I did an internship with the police department, and I was fortunate enough to get hired. That’s where I landed today – ironically, as chief, I sit behind a desk. It’s come full circle to the later part of my career.”
As an intern with the police department, Sorrentino completed paperwork and participated in ride-alongs. The latter provided him a bit of exposure to see what it’s like to truly be in law enforcement. When he was first hired, there was plenty of competition. After graduating from the police academy, Sorrentino became a patrol officer and remained in that capacity for a decade. Over the years, he moved up in the ranks – becoming sergeant in 2008, lieutenant in 2013, captain in 2016, and was officially promoted to chief in February of 2022.
Happily, he’s here to stay.
Hustle and Bustle
Being a local his entire life, Sorrentino knows how Ocean has changed over the years. “My parents lived out here when it was mostly woods,” he reminisces. “The town has become so popular – it’s a great town.”
Like many Ocean residents, he recognizes the rapid busyness of the blooming town. With traffic increasing in the summer, Sorrentino is exposed to all walks of life. “As a police officer, you deal with different elements of the job. We have quite the variety of residential areas. The shift work really exposes you to seeing how things are different, and how the town is during the day compared to the evening or night.” While most people after a school or work day head home or enjoy a night out, Sorrentino and his colleagues might be clocking in for an overnight shift. As he puts it, they’re involved in the town on a 24/7 basis.
“All ranks have their own assignments,” Sorrentino explains. While detective and patrol squads are more on the frontline, as chief, Sorrentino is responsible for day-to-day operations of his department, as well as keeping the township manager, town council and mayor informed on the happenings of the town as well as the department.
Ocean has a moderately sized police department, averaging about 80 full-time employees.
“Everyday, I go to all the different departments and speak to all the employees – it’s being a two-minute manager, just going around and checking in. My job is to help my employees succeed, making policies and changes that help them in their careers and lives. We constantly analyze what we’re doing and how to make it better. It’s why I kept wanting to be promoted – you keep wanting to make things better. It’s about getting the department to succeed as an organization and each person individually,” he says.
A Community Difference
In the first week of August, Sorrentino and other Ocean Township responders participated in National Night Out, hosted at the Ocean Township Pool. With a huge turnout every year, it’s the biggest and best opportunity to interact with Ocean’s first responders.
Other events the police department participates include “Coffee with a Cop” and “Ice Cream with a Cop,” each providing further opportunities for residents to get to know their local officers. Additionally, there’s a human services division (located by the Ocean Township library) that provides counselors to help residents, as well as a community hope fund to assist families in need. With local faith-based organizations, the police also participate with a coat and toy drive in the fall, featuring Santa Claus himself.
“I think that’s the best one for me to watch,” Sorrentino reminisces with a smile. “Watching the families be so appreciative of the officers going out to get donations – it’s really impactful to watch everyone come together.”
Of course, Sorrentino’s primary focus is on safety, crime prevention and apprehending criminals; however, he describes these community oriented services as one of the most rewarding parts of his job.
“It’s about helping the community. We come together to overcome any obstacle or anything we have to do. We always try to seek the positive side.”
Focusing on the Positives
Many people attempt to derive knowledge of a cop’s day-to-day life by watching their favorite weekly procedural drama. Sorrentino wants to emphasize for people looking to get into law enforcement, however, it’s not the thrills and drama you might catch on TV, but the bonds that you make that will last a lifetime.
“You’ll develop lifelong friendships,” he says. “Sometimes, friends come and go; but you’re working in a cohesive department with these people. We have retired officers that still come out to events. The easiest way to describe it? It’s a big family.”
Sorrentino wants to acknowledge that he’s thankful for him and his staff and all sworn and civilian members of the department – which he describes as the backbone of the work that he does, impossible to complete without such amazing people around him – are so well backed by the community of Ocean. “We have a large support system, and that’s not the case everywhere. Everyone has good and bad days; no one calls 9-1-1 when they’re having a good day. They're having something going on, whether it's a medical emergency, or a crime. Most interactions don't start positive, but we try to make them positive.”
Sorrentino says that daily interactions go a long way, and that community events are the best way to foster positivity in the community.
“We have a ton of kids come out to community events. It’s about the humanization of not being afraid of an officer in uniform. That positive interaction is really what drives us as officers and members of the community.”
