Five New Corrections Officers Take Oath to Serve At Morris County Correctional Facility

Published on April 02, 2019

Five Morris County Corrections Officers recently were sworn in to their new positions, with their parents and Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon joining in the tradition of pinning their badges on their uniforms.

Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon administers the oath of office to Corrections Officer Charles Cardona while Bureau of Corrections Undersheriff Alan J. Robinson holds the Bible.

Today you have joined our family, Sheriff Gannon told the group gathered for the swearing-in ceremony on March 28 at the Morris County Correctional Facility.

The new officers are Camille Mastroeni, Joseph Trapasso, Dexter Vargas, Charles Cardona, and Tyler Barrett.

Officer Mastroeni is married to Boonton Police Officer Joe Bolcar, whose grandfather, Edmund Bolcar, was a World War II veteran and Boonton police officer and whose father, Edward Bolcar, is a former Boonton mayor.

Sheriff James M. Gannon administers the oath of office to Morris County Corrections Officer Camille Mastroeni while her father, Tom Mastroeni, holds the Bible.

Officer Trapasso is a Jefferson Township High School graduate who worked full-time for the Sussex County Office of Bridges and Traffic before leaving to pursue a law enforcement career.

Officer Vargas, who was brought to the United States from Mexico City as a 9-month-old, has an associate's degree in criminal justice and a bachelor's degree from Rutgers University.

Officer Cardona, who also has an associate's degree in criminal justice, previously worked for the state Juvenile Justice Commission as a Correctional Police Officer at the New Jersey Training School in Middlesex County.

Officer Barrett graduated from Jefferson Township High School and earned his associate's degree in criminal justice. He was a security officer for four years for St. Clare's Hospital and Morristown Medical Center.

Sheriff James M. Gannon administers the oath of office to Morris County Corrections Officer Joseph Trapasso with his parents, Kathie and Anthony Trapasso present.

The new officers went through five weeks of training and will start intensive correctional training in April at the Essex County Police Academy.

The leadership here is second to none, Sheriff Gannon said of Bureau of Corrections Undersheriff Alan J. Robinson, Warden Chris Klein, and facility captains and training instructors.

He told the new officers and their families the facility has achieved accreditations from the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare. About 3,000 inmates pass through the facility annually, Sheriff Gannon said, and a challenge is that more than half suffer a substance abuse disorder.

Morris County Corrections Officer Dexter Vargas is sworn in to his new position by Sheriff James M. Gannon as Vargas's mother, Evangelina Ruiz, holds the Bible.

That's why programs started at the correctional facility to address addictions are so important, including the Hope Wing and STAR, which assists discharged inmates with accessing medical and social resources, housing and other needs.

Morris County Sheriff's Officer Tyler Barrett is sworn into office by Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon as Bureau of Corrections Undersheriff Alan J. Robinson holds the Bible.

If we don't deal with people when they're here “ and we have a captive audience here “ then we can't expect them to stop their lives of crimes, Sheriff Gannon said.

The sheriff predicted that the new officers would soon grow comfortable with their positions.

It's a great place, with high standards here, Sheriff Gannon said.