Monroe Township recently held a ceremony that included the promotion of John McBride (back row, second from left) to chief of police, Capt. Mark Burton (next to McBride) to deputy chief, Lt. William Yorio to captain, Sgt. Edward Brown to lieutenant and officer Daniel Marino to sergeant.
With the recent retirement of Police Chief Ryan Borkowski comes a number of “well deserved” promotions within the Monroe police department.
“As you can see, one retirement spurs various promotions, which is always good for the police department,” said Mayor Greg Wolfe, a retired officer who noted he had served with the officers being promoted at township council’s meeting on March 26.
“These gentlemen who were promoted tonight, it is very well deserved.”
Borkowski introduced John McBride, who served as his deputy chief. The former was chief for a year before retiring after a 27-year career in law enforcement on Feb. 28.
“The police department is rich in tradition,” Borkowski noted. “These ceremonies like today are part of that tradition. A promotional ceremony gives recognition that they deserve.”
McBride has been a member of the department for 27 years. He graduated from the 62nd session of the Atlantic County Police Academy on Sept. 11, 1998 and rose through the ranks from patrol, corporal and sergeant to lieutenant, captain, deputy chief and now chief.
“He took the task of supervision very seriously,” said Borkowski, noting that as deputy chief, McBride was “spot on.”
McBride served the patrol division and the tactical entry team, and was the department’s first drug recognition expert. His roles also included detective bureau investigator, federal taskforce officer with the Drug Enforcement Agency and field training officer.
With a salute, Borkowski pinned the 14th chief of police. Following that came the promotions of Capt. Mark Burton to deputy chief, Lt. William Yorio to captain, Sgt. Edward Brown to lieutenant and Officer Daniel Marino to sergeant.
“As I stand before you today, I’m humbled by the opportunity and grateful for the trust placed in me to lead this department,” McBride stated. “I’m filled with a deep sense of responsibility, and I accept the role of chief of police … I do not take this position lightly. I recognize the weight that it carries.”
As chief, McBride said his goal for the department “is to provide continued support, protection and service to the community through diligent, consistent and efficient methods.”
“To my officers, your dedication inspires me every day,” he offered. “I will continue to lead by example with fairness, integrity and unwavering commitment to our mission. I do not see this as an individual achievement, but a reflection of the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of every officer who served beside me.
“Without team, nothing can be accomplished,” McBride added. “Compassion is at the heart of their service as they listen, empathize, and provide support to those in need. Above all, their dedication to keeping our community safe is resolute … These officers are not just law enforcement professionals, they are guardians of our community driven by values that make them both dependable and trustworthy.
“They continue to strive for excellence, which I’m extremely proud for.”
Burton began his law-enforcement career in 1998, after he attended the Atlantic County Police Academy with McBride. He spent six-and-a-half years in the patrol division and was assigned to the traffic safety bureau in 2004. Ten years later, he was promoted to sergeant, with the responsibility to review fatal- and serious-injury crashes while securing traffic scenes.
Burton also helped obtain drunk driving grants from the New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety and was a work zone trainer and radar instructor for the department. In May 2021, he was promoted to lieutenant and continued to supervise the traffic unit, vehicles and equipment. He was nationally recognized as a traffic-crash reconstructionist in 2010 and was certified as a state traffic control coordinator for work zone safety in 2014.
Yorio is a 1995 graduate of Williamstown High School who earned associate and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and marketing from Stockton University. He joined the Monroe police in 2003 after training at the Gloucester County Police Academy, and his first assignment was the patrol division. Yorio became a member of the Monroe entry team, and in 2007, a member of department’s K-9 unit.
Later he was assigned as an administrative lieutenant, taking care of Megan’s Law duties, firearms, peddlers backgrounds and served as court liaison.
Brown is a lifelong township resident who started his law-enforcement career at the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Department. He was a corrections officer before becoming a sheriff’s officer, and in 2004, Brown accepted a patrol officer position in Monroe. He received several certifications in crash and public safety and follows his father, Herman Brown, and uncle, Finlay Brown, who both retired from the department.
Marino was hired in 2013, and two years later, rose to the rank of squad leader. He is a member of Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 125 Honor Guard and served as a field training officer, defensive tactics instructor at Gloucester County Police Academy and a school resource officer at the middle school.
Marino was assigned to specialty units within the department, including Special Investigation, where he made multiple drug distribution arrests and took part in a multi-jurisdictional wiretap investigation with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.
