Lakewood, NJ. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

JNS.org – The police department in Lakewood, NJ, hired its first Orthodox Jewish cadet this week.

The Lakewood Scoop first reported this development and was requested by officers to not release the name of the cadet until the new students complete the academy, which would be in about six months.

“I am pleased to announce today that we’re hiring 13 new police officers, men and women from our very diverse community in order to bring our numbers up to 150 sworn officers,” police chief Greg Meyer told the outlet.

A map hanging at Bett Madrash Govoha in Lakewood, NJ, in one of the study halls designating where each “chevrutah” (study group) sits. Photo: Wikmedia Commons.

After graduating the academy, the new police officers will go through in-house training before patrolling the streets.

Lakewood, a township in Ocean County, is a hub of Orthodox Judaism. It’s also home to one of the largest haredi yeshivahs in the world, the 6,500-student Beth Medrash Govoha, also known as BMG.