Former Ship Bottom Police Sgt. Brian Tretola’s retirement ceremony Oct. 27 drew a crowd to honor more than just a career; he was celebrated as a mentor who shaped recruits, a trusted colleague, a devoted friend and family man.
“Most of you know me, and you know, my guys, anyway, that I could walk into a crowd of people and have a conversation with anyone. I’ve never met a stranger,” said Ron Holloway, a former borough police officer. “Tonight’s a little different. Two months ago … there wasn’t a dry eye in here and I was really trying to avoid that as much as possible. So, I’m gonna make this as short and sweet as I can, as vanilla as I can make without me crying in front of you all again.”
Holloway’s comments referred to his own retirement ceremony at the council’s Aug. 25 meeting, where Tretola was the master of ceremonies. Tretola was Holloway’s supervisor, and the two began their careers together.
“Today, we’re here to recognize someone who is much more than a coworker to me. It’s weird because we’re both retired,” Holloway said. “He’s my best friend, and someone I’ve had the privilege of knowing and working alongside for the past 25 years.”
The two first met in 2001 and began working together in the summer of 2002 after Holloway completed the police academy, he said. It was then Holloway realized Tretola became his little brother, a bond that lasted throughout his career. Though they were only a few years apart in age, Holloway joked that the difference was obvious from their hair.
“Brian is the kind of friend that is always there when you need him. His loyalty, generosity and willingness to stand by the people he cares about are the qualities that make him truly special,” Holloway said. “He doesn’t just call himself a friend; he shows it in the things he does through his actions.”
To see Tretola’s devotion clearly, all anyone has to do is look at his family, according to Holloway. Calling his “little brother” a loving husband to his wife, Rachel, and a devoted father to his daughters, Harper and Haven, Holloway said Tretola is also the godfather to his identical twin boys – he still has trouble telling them apart.
For the last quarter of a century, Tretola has shown his devotion to serving the borough of Ship Bottom and its residents through early mornings, late nights, difficult calls and putting the needs of others ahead of his own, Holloway said.
“It takes a tremendous commitment to dedicate a quarter of a century to a career built around protecting and serving others,” he said.
Tretola’s service to others extended beyond the boundaries of Ship Bottom and the greater Long Beach Island, Holloway said. A physical training instructor at Ocean County Police Academy, Tretola prepared recruits for the demands of a life in law enforcement, helping to shape them into stronger, more-capable officers, he added.
Beyond the police academy, Tretola wore many hats, including lead field-training officer and background investigator, Police Chief Jonathan Potter said. He also worked in undercover operations for the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office as well as lead resiliency officer for Ship Bottom police, the chief added.
In most of his roles, Tretola’s work centered on helping others. By training and mentoring recruits, he helped prepare the next generation of officers and future leaders in the communities they would go on to serve, Potter said.
Tretola’s resume doesn’t reflect just his experience as a police officer, but also the kind of person he is, the chief added.
“He has an uncanny ability to judge applicants and young recruits. He already knew if they were going to be a good fit within our police department,” Potter said, recalling how the veterans would always ask if Tretola knew when a young officer made a mistake.
Any correction came from a place of caring, he added. Tretola wanted people to learn from their mistakes and become better, Parker said before detailing a story in which Tretola was his instructor when the ground froze with 3 inches of snow.
“I kind of gave up, and I didn’t really know,” the chief recalled last week. “He walked up to me and I’m like ‘Here we go; another PT instructor, another nasty comment.’ And he just goes ‘You got more – keep going.’”
On calls, Tretola was the type of officer the public could count on, especially when someone was struggling through a difficult time, Potter said.
“He has the ability to have that hard conversation or reach the personal level that most officers can’t get to,” he added. “During his career, he had over 50 letters from the public, thanking him for his service.”
Potter said Tretola brought professionalism to every part of his life, never shying away from a task and giving his full effort to everything he undertook.
“Sergeant, your 25 years of service has made a lasting impact on this department, and everyone has the privilege to work alongside you,” he said. “Your dedication, leadership and integrity has set that standard that will continue long after today.”
Tretola’s own reflections highlighted what that legacy meant to him: gratitude for the department that took a chance on him at 19. He called the life he had built alongside his colleagues and community a blessing.
“I literally found a profession that never felt like a job, and it fueled the fire inside of it,” Tretola said. “Here I am at 44 so thankful and so blessed that I get to have another chapter.”
He said faith is guiding him through the uncertainty of not knowing exactly what comes next.
“I trust God that he’s gonna continue to write my book, and I might not want to close this chapter, but I need to in order to keep going,” Tretola said.
Shifting away from the accolades laid on him, he flipped the script and called his colleagues not just amazing police officers, but tremendous human beings as well.
“These men, we spend more time with them than we do our family. I am going to miss them,” Tretola said, adding retirement wouldn’t take him far from the people he worked alongside, whose camaraderie meant more to him than words could express.
He was especially grateful to the officer who came before him, pointing to retired police Sgt. Scott Barr, who took him under his wing and taught him the job when he was just starting out.
“I’m just blessed for them to teach me, and I was able to give back. I’m just so grateful,” Tretola said. “For all of you, the borough, for the residents, for the relationships, for the memories, for everything, it’s just been – it’s been awesome.”
He said he never imagined pursuing a career outside law enforcement. As Tretola considers what comes next, he knows another job may not fulfill him in the same way, but he hopes to find a new passion and continue giving back.
“I’m excited to see what God has for me next, but I’ll never, ever take this one for granted,” Tretola said.
Holloway’s tribute reflected that same appreciation, describing how Tretola’s character shaped not only his service as an officer, but also the relationships he built beyond the job.
“What makes Brian so remarkable is that the qualities that make him a great police officer are the same qualities that make him a great husband, father and friend. Loyalty, courage, compassion, sense of duty, person of credit,” Holloway said. “Brian, I’m proud to call you my brother, my little brother, in blue. But I’m even more proud to call you my best friend.”
