VILLAS – Lower Township Mayor Frank Sippel swore in the Police Department’s newest full-time police officer, Patrolman Austin Cushman, on Monday, Feb. 3.
Cushman is a lifelong resident of the township and a 2013 graduate of Lower Cape May Regional High School. He joined the Navy in January 2018, graduating from Hospital Corpsman A school in December 2018, followed by Dental Assisting C school and finishing with Basic Dental Laboratory Technician C school in September 2019.
He was stationed at Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan, from October 2019 to December 2023. He left the Navy honorably in January 2024 and was hired as a full-time officer by the Lower Police Department in August 2024. He graduated from the Basic Course for Police Officers at the Cape May County Police Academy in January.
Cushman’s wife, Anri, held the Bible for the oath, and his cousin, Patrolman Michael Harkin, pinned badge 229 on his uniform.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
