Kevin J. Nielsen

Sergeant Kevin J. Nielsen, Retired South River Police Department

Kevin J. Nielsen

Kevin J. Nielsen is the second of five children born to Carl and Patricia Nielsen.  Kevin is a graduate of the South River High School Class of 1980 and has resided and or worked in South River his entire life.

Kevin and his wife Sandra have been married for 12 years and together have four boys, Brandon Pacheco, Mark Pacheco and our twins, Karl and Thomas Nielsen. All who are products of the South River School District

Kevin began his work with the Borough of South River as a utility meter reader in November of 1985.  He expanded that service to the South River Police Department in August of 1989 after passing the Chiefs of Police entrance exam in the Spring/Summer of 1989.  

Officer Nielsen was a graduate of the 51st Basic Police Training Class at Middlesex County College in January 1990.  He was also a member of the Forty-Ninth Graduating class of The New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police Command and Leadership Academy. Formerly known as The West Point Command and Leadership Academy. After 13 years as an officer on the SRPD – he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant on July 1, 2013, and was assigned to the Patrol Division of the South River Police Department where he remained until his retirement on June 30, 2019.  

During his tenure with the SRPD, Sergeant Nielsen was assigned many different divisions: Traffic Safety Division, Detective Bureau & Patrol Division.  

While assigned to the Traffic Safety Division, he was trained by Northwestern University Traffic Institute to investigate motor vehicle accidents.  Kevin is certified in Motor Accident Investigation I and II. He was also trained by the University of North Florida Institute of Police Technology and Management, in the field of Inspection and Investigation of Commercial Vehicle Crashes. 

While assigned to the Detective Bureau, he worked with the Middlesex County Narcotics Task Force from June of 1999 until July of 2000.  There he worked with other jurisdictions to apprehend individuals making street-level buys of narcotics throughout the county. He also worked with officers from the Federal government, state police and other Counties on the “Club Drug Scene.”

Throughout his Law Enforcement Career, he has received numerous Letter of Commendation.  

One of the many defining moments of his career while on patrol in July of 2004. He was the arresting officer of four (4) individuals who were members of the “Lakatosz Crime Family.” These members victimized an elderly resident of the borough.  Sergeant Nielsen’s love and respect for his parents and the elderly in general, fueled his resolve even more to solve this particular case.

Kevin has worked within the community by supporting the Boy Scouts of America, and the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. 

He is also a third-degree member of the Knights of Columbus Council 3001.

Kevin found another way in which to serve his community. In April of 2010, he was elected to his First Term as a member of the South River Board of Education. This past November, he was re-elected to his Fourth Term and looks forward to continuing to serve his home town of South River.