Middletown officers receive higher ranks Three officers are second-generation department members (l-r) Sgt. John E. Kaiser, Lt. Craig A. Bahrs Jr., Deputy Chief Frederick Henry, Sgt. Ernest Volkland Jr., Lt. William Brunt Jr., Chief Robert Oches and Deputy Chief Eugene Hannafey MIDDLETOWN - Three Middletown police officers who are following in their fathers' footsteps received their ceremonial oath of offices on Jan. 22. Lt.WilliamBrunt Jr., Sgt. JohnE.Kaiser and Sgt. Ernest Volkland Jr. all assumed supervisory positions that their fathers once held in theMiddletown Police Department. Also promoted was Lt. CraigA. Bahrs. "They are all smart workers," Police Chief Robert Oches said. "Three of the four had fathers who worked in the Middletown Police Department. These men are committed to what they do." Bahrs is a lifelong Middletown resident who graduated from Middletown High School North and was appointed a patrolman in the Middletown Police Department in June 1996. He has served as a narcotics canine handler with Police Canine Jack since June 2000.Bahrswas promoted to sergeant in 2005 and is currently assigned to the patrol division as a shift commander in charge of Squad 3. Brunt's father, retired Detective Lt. William Brunt, had been a member of the department for approximately 30 years Like Bahrs, Brunt is a lifelong Middletown resident and graduate of Middletown High School.He was appointed as a patrolman in August 1983 and had previously served as a special officer since 1977. In 2002 he was assigned as staff sergeant, and his duties included the supervision of records, staff and dispatchers, reviewing Open Public Records Act requests, and supervising the police department's computer system. He achieved the secondhighest score on the 2006 state NJDOP Lieutenants exam. Commendations include three Medal of Merit awards, Supervisor of the Year, and a Lifesaving Award from PBA Local 124 along with a stateAssembly resolution. Kaiser, a formerMiddletownHigh School North graduate, follows his father, John Kaiser, a retired detective who was with the Middletown Police Department for approximately 30 years. The younger Kaiser will be assigned to the patrol bureau and has served as a field training officer and as amember of the bicycle patrol and emergency services. He also was an interim patrol sergeant, and an associate adviser to Police Explorer Post No. 102.He has received 17 departmental letters of commendation, five medals of merit and two honorable mention awards from PBA Local 124. Volkland follows his father, Ernest Volkland, a retired deputy chief of the department. He was appointed as a patrolman in July and has served as a field training officer and a member of the department's bicycle unit. Volkland is also a member of the squad's water rescue and scuba team. He scored third in the state on the New Jersey 2006 state Department of Personnel sergeants test. "Men like these make the Middletown Police Department one of the best in the state, and I think one of the best in the country," Mayor Gerard Scharfenberger said.