Detective of the Year

NEWTON — Newton Police Chief Michael Richards is proud to announce that Newton Police Detective Thomas Muller has been honored with the Detective of the Year award by the Sussex County Detectives’ Association. The association said they selected Det. Muller to receive this award in recognition of his outstanding accomplishments in investigative police work. The award is named in memory of Chief William Geffken, who was a NJ State Police Detective and later became the Chief of Detectives at the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office. Chief Geffken was known for his relentless pursuit of criminals and his persistent style of conducting investigations. Detective Muller was recognized for his role in a 2010 Newton kidnapping investigation where he emerged as a lead detective on the case. He worked with numerous other agencies and investigative personnel in order to hold all suspects accountable for their role in the commission of this crime. His sincerity, diligence and dedication to duty combined with his keen understanding of the importance of information sharing, cooperation and coordination with his fellow investigators resembles the spirit of Chief Geffken embodied in this award, said the association. The association also recognized Lois Furgeson, Nina Pisani and Carolyn Zydel of the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office of Victim Witness Advocacy for their assistance to victims of crime in Sussex County. The members of the County Detectives’ Association expressed their appreciation by presenting them with awards for Meritorious Service.