Fresh Face for Fanwood's Thin Blue Line

The Fanwood Police Department welcomed its newest officer Aug. 3. Nicholas Mauro, 23, of Hillside, was sworn-in by Mayor Colleen Mahr in a small ceremony that included Mauro's parents and uncle. A public swearing-in will take place at the Fanwood Borough Council meeting Sept. 14.

"I'm very excited to start interacting with the community and having a direct role in maintaining a safe community," Mauro said during an interview in the chief's office last week.

His blue uniform still crisp, his boots and leather belt still a glossy black, Mauro is being trained by Sgt. Frank Marrerro, one of the department's two training officers. Marrero will oversee Mauro's integration into the Fanwood Police Department, from memorizing borough ordinances and department procedures, to performing traffic stops, issuing tickets and making arrests.

Mauro graduated the John H. Stamler Police Academy in Scotch Plains in December. "I was probably one of the few people who actually enjoyed it," Mauro said.

For 21 weeks, academy cadets arrived at 5 a.m., then drill and studied until 3 p.m. Mauro, however, said he relished the exercise and the challenge. In high school, he competed in varsity weightlifting, track and shot put, and played baseball and soccer recreationally and competitively.

Mauro's workout regimen continued at LeMoyne College in Syracuse, where he graduated in May 2010 with a degree in criminology. Between classes, he lifted four days per week and ran two miles per day.

In part, he said, "I was always into sports." But Mauro also always knew what he wanted to do for a career. "I can't remember not thinking about wanting to be a police officer," he said. "My first recollection of having toys was at age 5, having plastic handcuffs and a plastic badge."

Mauro said he drew inspiration from his uncle, who worked as a police officer in Hillside and returned home wearing his uniform. That image, and the sense of mission that came with it, appealed to Mauro. "Being able to have an active role in protecting people – they don't need to worry about their safety," Mauro said.

His uncle will pin the badge on Mauro's chest during the ceremony Sept. 14. Mauro's mother, Cynthia Pasuk, will hold the bible.

"He's been dreaming of this and he's been working toward this his whole life," Pasuk said in a telephone interview. "Nicholas enjoys the law, disciplining himself, and doing what's right."

But, she said, badge or not, he'll still have to follow her rules when he returns home at night. "I'm the mom," she said.

Mauro paid his own way through the academy, a quality that appealed to Acting Chief Richard Trigo. "If they're not getting paid to [attend the academy], they want to do this," he said. "I am confident I made the right selection." Mauro is Trigo's first hire as chief.

Mauro, meanwhile, has remained active. After work, he said, he goes to the gym or lifts weights in his basement. "I won't let anything else come between that and the job."