The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police announced that Ocean City Police Chief John J. “Jay” Prettyman has been awarded advanced certification. “Chief Prettyman has continued Ocean City’s proud and exemplary tradition of public safety,” Mayor Jay Gillian said. “Only a third of New Jersey’s police chiefs have achieved certification, and far fewer have reached advanced certification.” The certification program is designed to encourage the highest ethical and professional standards possible for law enforcement throughout the state, and the process is extremely rigorous.
Prettyman was named chief on Feb. 1, 2019, after serving for a year as acting chief. He worked as a seasonal officer in Ocean City for two years and as a full-time officer in Haddon Heights for two years before joining the Ocean City Police Department full-time in September 1995.He worked as a patrolman, in the Traffic Safety Unit, and in the Community-Oriented Policing Unit before being promoted to sergeant of staff services in 2002, patrol lieutenant in 2006, detective lieutenant in 2007 and captain of police in 2008.Prettyman holds a master’s degree in public safety from St. Joseph’s University and a bachelor’s degree in law and justice studies from Rowan University. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and a N.J. State Association of Chiefs of Police certified law enforcement executive.
