Chief Andrew Huisman takes over the Belmar police department after 23 years of working in the department.
BELMAR -- Police Chief Andrew Huisman has seen this tiny Jersey Shore borough transform from a raucous party town in the summer months to a community-oriented tourist destination.
Born and raised in Belmar, Huisman joined the police department in 1993, climbed the ranks, and was sworn in as chief on April 6, following the April 1 retirement of former Chief Thomas Palmisano.
In an interview with NJ Advance Media, Huisman attributed a proactive style of policing rather than a reactive one to eased tensions between renters and full-time residents, and a decline in complaints.
"With different community policing programs and being more connected with the public, things have changed," Huisman said. " ... Our police department, in my opinion, is the best police department it's been since I've been here."
He said in the past, police would only respond to an issue when the department was notified. And the problem persisted if it was never brought to their attention.
That approach, Huisman said, is simply unacceptable now.
"If we get called, we didn't get to it before -- we didn't do our job," he said. "So, most of the noise calls, most of the disorderly conduct calls ... we deal with it before people call us, which is a huge change from when I first got here."
That strategy is one that is very calculated: problem areas, or avenues, are identified early on in the summer season and then additional patrols, including walking and bicycle officers, are assigned to those spots.
Officers will also directly reach out to the occupants of rental homes, to give them information on the borough's ordinances and to establish a line of communication, Huisman said.
Belmar's police department has 20 sworn officers. In the summer, it adds an additional 65 seasonal officers.
Huisman is taking over as chief at an interesting time in the department's history. The department is poised to take over police services in adjoining Lake Como, if voters reject a referendum on Tuesday to increase the tax levy by 2 percent.
Huisman said, like any expansion, there will be challenges at first, but he has full confidence in his department.
"Most of my police officers already know the streets and the areas," he said. "In the summer months, they have the same problems we have. ... There are going to be challenges along the way, and we're going to have to deal with it."
Huisman said Belmar will apply its community-policing strategy to the quarter-square-mile borough, and will up the amount of officers patrolling the streets.
"They're going to see a lot of us," Huisman said, referring to the residents in Lake Como.
Belmar Mayor Matt Doherty expressed confidence in Huisman as his police department's new chief.
"Chief Huisman has proven himself to be an extraordinary leader in the police department, and I'm confident that our department is in good hands moving into the future under his leadership," Doherty said. "As the mayor of my community, I'm blessed to have a professional police department that makes the residents in town proud."
Huisman, who graduated from Wall High School in 1987, was classmates at the Monmouth County Police Academy with Sheriff Shaun Golden.
In an email to NJ Advance Media, Golden congratulated Huisman on his "well-deserved promotion."
"(Huisman) was a classmate of mine at the Monmouth County Police Academy and has the knowledge, expertise and commitment in public safety to lead the Belmar Police Department," Golden said. "The sheriff's office worked particularly close with Chief Huisman during Superstorm Sandy. His dedication to the residents and resilience in the recovery efforts helped move the borough forward in its aftermath."
Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.