Montclair Swears In Probationary Police Officers

Officers Michael J. McCue and Scott A. Tait were sworn in Thursday as Montclair Police Department probationary officers by Deputy Municipal Clerk Juliet Lee in Township Council Chambers.

McCue is a class of 2013 graduate of the Bergen County Police Academy Alternate Route Program (self-funded by the trainee.) 

He also earned a bachelor of arts degree in justice studies at Montclair State University in 2010. Officer McCue served for two years with the Fair Lawn and Hillsdale police departments as a civilian police dispatcher and was a volunteer firefighter with the Paramus Volunteer Fire Department for three years. He will wear badge No. 259.

Tait graduated Bergen County Community College in 2012 with an associate's degree in criminal justice. He previously served as a volunteer class II special deputy sheriff with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Tait will enter the Essex County College Police Academy this month for additional training toward his certification as a full-time police officer. He will wear badge No. 260. 

Officers McCue and Tait will undergo a comprehensive police department field training program where each will be paired with specially-trained, experienced patrol officers. The training curriculum covers a wide array of topics that range from departmental operations, at-scene criminal investigations, and handling domestic violence incidents, to traffic enforcement and issues of homeland security. The trainees rotate through different trainers and shifts while receiving daily standardized evaluations based on their performance. The evaluations are periodically reviewed by the field training program supervisor. Progress is then evaluated prior to training completion and final assignment to the Patrol Division by the Chief of Police.