The officers include 71 who have college degrees, 41 from law enforcement families and 12 who served in the military.
TRENTON -- The state Department of Corrections presented badges to 194 new officers from 19 of the state's 21 counties Monday.
During the ceremony at the Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, in downtown Trenton, the department also celebrated 58 recent officer promotions.
The new officers, graduates of Class 239, include 71 who have college degrees, 41 from law enforcement families and 12 who served in the military.
25 photos of DOC officer awards, promotions
Union County boats the highest number of graduates from the class, with 22, followed by 21 from Ocean County, 18 from Middlesex County and Bergen County with 16.
Camden and Essex counties are each home to 15 officers, 13 hail from Mercer County and 12 each are from Hudson and Monmouth counties.
The other counties and their representation: Burlington, 8; Sussex, 8; Cumberland, 7; Atlantic, 6; Passaic, 6; Gloucester, 5; Morris, 3; Warren, 3; Somerset, 2; and Hunterdon 1.
Kevin Shea may be reached at kshea@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter@kevintshea. Find NJ.com on Facebook.