As his last day on the job approached, Barnegat Township Police Chief Keith Germain received accolades at the March 5 township committee meeting.

Last month, the 50-year-old Germain announced his retirement after being at the helm for six years. Beginning his career 30 years ago as a dispatcher, Germain felt it was “time to make way for the next generation that is better trained, better prepared and better able to take this agency to the next level.”