JACKSON TOWNSHIP, NJ – You might recognize the name. Captain Steven Laskiewicz has served for years as the Jackson Township Police Department’s public information officer, informing residents daily about what’s happening in town. This week, Laskiewicz retired. Joining him was Lt. Frank Mendez who was part of the post Superstorm Sandy team deployed to secure the barrier island in the wake of the storm.
The Jackson Police Department issued the following statement regarding their retirements:
Members of the Jackson Police Department along with family and friends of Captain Steven Laskiewicz #211 and Lieutenant Francisco Mendez #224 came out to headquarters on the afternoon of June 30th to congratulate both in a walk out ceremony on their retirement from the agency.
Capt. Laskiewicz was raised in Sayreville and was a graduate of Sayreville War Memorial High School. He attended Middlesex County College and completed an electrician apprenticeship with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers local #358
Capt. Laskiewicz started his career as an Auxiliary Police Officer with the Sayreville Police Department in 1994 and attended the Middlesex County Auxiliary Police Academy. In 1995, Captain Laskiewicz received a notice of appointment to attend the Los Angeles Police Academy and was scheduled to move to California but chose to remain in New Jersey where he was appointed as a police officer with Monroe Twp in 1996. Capt. Laskiewicz was later hired and appointed as a police officer with Jackson Police in July of 1996.
During his tenure with the agency, Capt. Laskiewicz was assigned to the 4-12 patrol shift where he also later served with the department’s Special Response Team, and as a Field Training Officer and was involved in updating the FTO program in the early 2000s
In February of 2005 he was assigned to the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force before returning to Jackson Police in June of 2005 where he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
During this time, he was assigned to the midnight shift as the patrol sergeant. Capt. Laskiewicz was later transferred to the afternoon shift as a patrol sergeant in 2006. In 2008 he began instructing the agency in Use of Force during annual in-service training.
In November of 2011, Capt. Laskiewicz was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant where he oversaw the newly formed Office of Professional Standards.
A few years later, in November of 2015, Captain Laskiewicz was promoted to the rank of Captain and assigned as the Uniformed Services Division Commander before being assigned as the Investigative Services Division Commander in 2019. During his tenure he was proudly involved in the formation of the detective bureau’s newly formed Special Enforcement Unit.
From May 2021 through Oct. 2021, Captain Laskiewicz was assigned as full time Accreditation Manager and worked with Sgt. Dave Watson, P.O. Chris Schinder and multiple other officers as the agency worked to attain accredited status through the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, which was granted to the agency at the NJSACOP Accreditation meeting in October 2021.
January of 2022 saw Captain Laskiewicz return as Investigative Services Division Commander which was the position he finally retired from.
Detective Lieutenant Francisco Mendez was born In Brooklyn, NY and raised in Staten Island, NY
After graduating high school, D. Lt. Mendez enlisted in the U.S. Army, graduated basic training and advanced infantry training at Fort Benning, Georgia before going to his permanent duty station: Fort Ord, California with the 7th Infantry Division.
In 1989, he was deployed to the Republic of Panama. The 7th Infantry was instrumental in taking Manuel Noriega into U.S. custody and liberating Panama. D. Lt. Mendez was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge along with the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and National Defense Service Medal.
D. Lt. Mendez started his law enforcement career at Brookdale College Police Department in 1993. In 1994, he became a Class II Special at Keansburg Police Department, before becoming a full time Police Officer for Keansburg Borough Police Department in 1996. During his time at Keansburg Borough Police Department, he worked as an undercover narcotics detective for two years with the Bayshore Narcotics Task Force.
In 2001, D. Lt. Mendez was hired by the Jackson Police Department. While in the patrol division, he was a Field Training Officer, advisor to the Jackson Police Explorer Post, member and later supervisor of the ATV patrol unit, member of the Jackson Police Special Response Team, and a member of the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team. He was also an instructor at the Ocean County Police Academy and an In-service training instructor at JPD for Use of Force and Arrest Search and Seizure
During his tenure, D. Lt. Mendez was recognized as the agency’s Officer of the Year in 2006 and again in 2009. He was additionally awarded four Unit Citations, Veteran’s Ribbon, Good Conduct Ribbon, Achievement Ribbon and Letter of Commendation. He was also honored by the Ocean County 200 Club for dealing with an armed emotionally disturbed person, taken into custody without injury to anyone.
In December of 2008, D. Lt. Mendez was assigned to the detective bureau where he served for numerous years before being promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2011 and transferred back to the Patrol Division where he was later awarded Supervisor of the Year in 2015.
D. Lt. Mendez was then re-assigned to Investigative Services Division as Detective Sergeant in 2015 where he would remain as he was later promoted to the rank of Detective Lieutenant in 2021 which is the position he retired from. During his tenure, D. Lt. Mendez was instrumental in the agency’s hiring process, revamping the system which allowed the agency to hire professional candidates and police officers.
The members of the Jackson Police Department wish Captain Laskiewicz, Detective Lieutenant Mendez and their families the best as they enter the next phase of life being retired.
Sergeant Fred Meabe
Public Information Officer
Jackson Police Department
July 1, 2022
