Captain Mike Frazee, left, at an incident with Chief Darren McConnell (back to camera) in April. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank-born-and-raised police Captain Mike Frazee will become the borough’s next police chief, succeeding Darren McConnell, Mayor Billy Portman announced Thursday night.
The handoff, however, will be delayed “several weeks” as McConnell’s retirement, previously expected to occur next week, has been postponed, McConnell said.
Frazee on the scene of a shooting earlier this week. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge.)
“As soon as we are able, Captain Frazee will be the next police chief here in Red Bank,” Portman said at the council’s semimonthly meeting.
Meantime, McConnell will l stay on “for another month, basically,” Portman said, as he clears up unspecified pension issues.
Frazee, who was not present when Portman made the announcement, told redbankgreen via text that he was excited and honored to win the job, which calls for managing a 39-member department.
“I have some big shoes to fill, having worked for five different police chiefs in Red Bank,” he said. “Although each of them were a little different, they all were great leaders who did a tremendous job. I hope I can be just as successful as each of them.”
Frazee, 51, grew up in town, joined the department as a dispatcher in 1994, and became a patrol officer two years later. He was elevated to lieutenant in 2014 after stints in the patrol and detective units, and was promoted to captain in July, 2017.
Portman told redbankgreen that he has been “very impressed” by Frazee since taking office in January. “He’s super-level, calm and rational, and very well respected in the department. I think it’s a great fit.”
Filling the job was easy, said Councilwoman Kate Triggiano, who previously served as police commissioner. The council decided not conduct an external search because Frazee is “extremely qualified and he’ll be an incredible chief,” she said.
“He fits the culture, and is everything that people respect about our police department,” Triggiano said. “He’s all about community, he has de-escalation skills, he’s all about being on the ground, he wants to keep our police department looking human and not militarized – all things that we appreciate.”
McConnell said Frazee he “is a great person for the job. He’ll do really well.”
McConnell, who rose through the ranks to become chief chief in December, 2013, has additionally served as interim borough administrator since the May, 2021, and will relinquish that job upon retirement from the police force. After 90 days, if the new manager’s job is still open, McConnell said he might apply for it.
Portman said the council will announce details of its planned search for a new town manager at its next regular meeting, scheduled for August 10.
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