Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll and Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker announce the promotions of Joseph Ellis and Craig May to the rank of Detective Supervisor, and the hiring of Lamar K. Hagans as Detective for the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
Detective Supervisors Ellis and May were promoted during a ceremony at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on March 21.
Detective Supervisor Ellis started his career in public service in 2008 after enlisting in the United States Army.
He was trained as a military police officer and was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division at Fort Drum, NY. He was trained as a battlefield forensics technician and deployed to Afghanistan in 2010.
Detective Supervisor Ellis exited the active duty Army in 2013, but remained in the New Jersey Army National Guard until December 2021.
He joined the Union County Police Department as a patrol officer in 2015, and the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office in 2017.
Detective Supervisor Ellis holds an Associate Degree from Jefferson Community College and Bachelor’s Degree from Kean University.
He has earned multiple lifesaving and investigative awards and belongs to numerous professional organizations including the International Association of Arson Investigators, International Association of Bomb Technicians & Investigators and the International Association of Auto Theft Investigators.
Detective Supervisor May joined the East Orange Police Department in 2002 as a patrol officer, and was later promoted to detective in the Criminal Investigations Unit and Enhanced Community Safety Team.
He joined the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office and the General Investigations Unit in 2017, and was later assigned to the Sex Crimes/Child Endangerment Unit.
He is a member of the New Jersey Clergy Abuse Task Force and is the designated Field Training Detective for the unit.
Detective Supervisor May was awarded an Outstanding Law Enforcement Service Award for assisting in a human trafficking and promoting prostitution investigation with a successful prosecution. Detective Supervisor May attended Essex County College and graduated from the Essex County Police Academy.
He has several professional training courses and has been recognized with command and tour citations, and four excellent duty honors.
Detective Hagans was officially sworn in at the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office on March 21.
He has been assigned to the General Investigations Unit within the Courts and Administration Division.
Prior to joining the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Detective Hagans served as a corrections officer for the Union County Correctional Facility, and a police officer and detective for the Rahway Police Department. Detective Hagans has earned numerous certifications and letters of recognition in 2018 and 2019.
He has attended Essex County College and Virginia State University.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “I’m proud to recognize and promote Detective Supervisor Ellis and Detective Supervisor May, as they have demonstrated significant contributions to our investigative efforts.
I am also extremely pleased that an officer of the caliber of Detective Hagans is joining the MCPO staff.”