January 21, 2025
ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–Director of Public Safety and Mayor David L. Fried, along with Robbinsville Township Chief of Police William Swanhart, are proud to announce the promotion of Scott Kivet to Lieutenant, along with the promotions of Shawn Bruton and Thomas Septak to Sergeant.
“These three officers exemplify the three virtues on our agency patch: Honor, Integrity, and Pride,” Chief Swanhart said. “The leadership and dedication displayed by each of these officers throughout their careers reflects the mission of the Robbinsville Township Police Department and will make a lasting impact on our department and the community we serve. I look forward to working with these officers in their new roles and appreciate the dedication to the agency by our entire team.”
Lt. Kivet has been an integral member of the agency, particularly in the area of drug interdiction and trafficking. Since 2016, Lt. Kivet has also been a driving force of the Community Addiction Recovery Effort (C.A.R.E.) program, which has helped dozens of individuals seek professional treatment for opioid dependency. C.A.R.E. has been so successful it has been adopted by every municipality in Mercer County. Lt. Kivet will remain the Township’s Office of Emergency Management Coordinator and continue working with K9 Corbin.
Lt. Kivet has teamed with K9s Quori and Corbin over the past several years to identify, intercept and arrest hundreds of individuals for drug trafficking and possession along the Interstate 195 and New Jersey Turnpike corridors, earning several commendations.
Before retiring from active police work, K9 Quori and Lt. Kivet participated in various high-profile cases with the FBI, Homeland Security, and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, including one of the nation’s largest drug busts – a $1 billion, 17.5-ton seizure of cocaine in 2019.
Kivet was hired by the Robbinsville Police Department in 2005 and has served as the OEM coordinator; a Pro-Active Narcotics Unit Detective with the Criminal Investigation Bureau, and in April 2017 was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
Lt. Kivet is also one of the founders of the Mercer County Rapid Response Partnership and is currently one of the coordinators overseeing operations with command staff from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
In addition, Lt. Kivet is a certified Drug Recognition Expert and has been stipulated in municipal and superior courts as a Subject Matter Expert in the field. He has been recognized for his enforcement of impaired drivers by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), was named Officer of the Year in 2008; NJ State First Responder of the Year Award in 2011, Top Gun/Officer of the Year for Mercer County in 2011, 2014, & 2015; Chief’s Award in 2014; Rotary Club Distinguished Officer of the Year award in 2012 & 2015, and numerous life-saving awards.
In addition to his many duties with the RTPD, Lt. Kivet is a certified firefighter, EMT, Hazmat technician, County Fire Coordinator, Deputy Forest Fire Warden, and Level 2 instructor. He currently volunteers as an Assistant Fire Chief in Upper Freehold.
Kivet joins fellow Lieutenants Christopher Clifton, Thomas Egan and Adrian Markowski on the RTPD Command Staff.
Lieutenant Scott Kivet
Sgt. Bruton has dedicated over 19 years to serving the Robbinsville Township Police Department after beginning his career in 2006 as a dispatcher, where he honed his communications skills and led him to pursue a career as an officer in 2011.
Sgt. Bruton has excelled in a variety of roles within the agency, including as a drug recognition expert, evidence custodian, and Drug Interdiction Officer. His substantial growth led to his selection to the Detective Bureau in 2016, where he developed expertise in investigations and crime scene management.
In 2018, Sgt. Bruton was assigned to the Mercer County Homicide Task Force, an honor that recognized his professionalism and skill in solving complex cases. In addition to his investigative work, he played a key role in enhancing department training and preparedness, securing active shooter training, and leading initiatives like the township wide Camera Systems. As a Certified Active Shooter Instructor and Incident Management Instructor, Sgt. Bruton has been commended by the NJ Office of Homeland Security for his ability to manage large scale incidents. He has received numerous awards throughout his career including, Meritorious Service, Grand Cordon, Lifesaving and Exceptional Service awards.
Sergeant Shawn Bruton
Sgt. Septak began his career in law enforcement in 2013 when he was hired by the RTPD as a Patrolman.
He has served as a Traffic Officer, Bike Patrol Officer, Humane Law Enforcement Officer, Field Training Officer, the liaison Officer for the Township’s Hunting Program, and as an Officer in Charge. At the time of his promotion, Sgt. Septak was assigned to the Criminal Investigation Unit as a Detective, where he worked collaboratively with various law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, the U.S. Marshals, various units within the New Jersey State Police including the Auto Theft Task Force and the Counterterrorism Unit, and the Department of Criminal Justice.
During his tenure with the RTPD, Sgt. Septak has been recognized as Officer of The Year in 2015, received seven Exceptional Service Awards, four Honorable Service Awards, two Distinguished Service Awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), two Grand Cordon Awards, and a Meritorious Service Award.
“The hard work and dedication these officers have put into their craft has been exemplary,” Fried said. “As I have mentioned on many occasions, Chief Swanhart and I are blessed with an extremely deep roster of outstanding and caring police officers whose sole focus is to help the citizens of Robbinsville and Windsor. We could not be prouder of these three outstanding men and what they have accomplished since joining the agency.”
Sergeant Thomas Septak