Kevin Garrity is the youngest Byram Township Police Officer in the history of the town. The 19-year-old had an early introduction to the profession at Sussex County Technical School, where he studied Law & Public Safety and participated in the Jump Start program at Sussex County Community College (SCCC). Through this program, he accumulated a year’s worth of college credit by the time he graduated high school in 2022.
“From a young age, I had always wanted to be a police officer, and Sussex Tech’s Law & Public Safety program helped me follow that passion of mine,” said Garrity. “The school’s program helped inform me and showed me what to expect in the career of law enforcement…For instance, getting to do hands-on activities such as fingerprinting, crime scene scenarios, vehicle searches, and more helped give me a head start and increased my interest in law enforcement. Furthermore, attending Sussex Tech opened many avenues for me, which allowed me to obtain my dream job even faster.”
After high school, Garrity continued at SCCC for another year to earn an associate degree in criminal justice. He then attended and graduated from the Morris County Police Academy with the 101st Basic Police Training Class. Following his Academy graduation, he was hired by the Byram Township Police Department, earning the job largely because of the initiative he took to fast-track his career through the Jump Start program.
“Sussex Tech placed me on the right career path,” Garrity emphasized. “By the time I had a job interview for my local police department, I felt confident and prepared because I had a lot that I could put on my resume from my educational achievements alone that helped me stand out.”
Garrity now takes great pride in serving the same community where he grew up and has ambitions to move from a patrol officer to a lieutenant or a sergeant.
