Bayonne Mayor-elect Sharon Ashe-Nadrowski has named her brother, retired Police Lt. Jimmy Ashe, as the Peninsula City’s public safety director.
Photo via the Bayonne Police Department.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“James Ashe has dedicated his career to protecting and serving the people of Bayonne. His extensive experience in law enforcement, emergency management, interagency coordination, and public administration make him exceptionally well-positioned to lead our public safety efforts,” Ashe-Nadrowski said in a statement.
“My brother Jimmy is clearly qualified for this important position because he understands our community and has earned the trust and respect of his colleagues and residents alike. He will be an invaluable member of our administration.”
He will succeed interim Mayor Robert Kubert, who took over for Jimmy Davis ahead of being sworn in as Hudson County Sheriff in January.
Kubert, a retired police chief, has retained his title as public safety director during that time and decided not to run for a full four-year term as mayor.
Ashe served with the Bayonne Police Department from 1988 to 2020, holding a variety of assignments and leadership positions throughout his career.
During his tenure, he played a role in the department’s transition from a traditional policing model to the community policing approach that remains in place today.
Prior to his retirement, he attained the rank of lieutenant and oversaw the department’s Investigative Division.
“I appreciate the opportunity, as public safety director, to build upon the public trust that has been placed in this office,” added Ashe.
“I am honored and look forward to working alongside Mayor Nadrowski and the entire administration as we balance the demands of public safety with the fiscal realities of government.”
Further, Ashe spent more than a decade as the city’s Municipal Counter-Terrorism Coordinator.
In that role, he facilitated intelligence-sharing among municipal, county, state, and federal agencies and conducted vulnerability assessments of critical infrastructure throughout Bayonne.
He also participated in the Hudson County Working Group, helping secure grants and funding for target-hardening initiatives across the county.
In addition, Ashe served as deputy coordinator for the Office of Emergency Management, where he was responsible for updating Bayonne’s Emergency Operations Plan and assessing the city’s resources, capabilities, and preparedness to respond to emergencies.
For the past five years, Ashe has served as manager of the Bayonne Agency for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
He is the second major appointment announced by Ashe-Nadrowski, the first female mayor-elect in Bayonne history whose City Council slate swept last month, following announcing Andrew Casais as business administrator, as HCV first reported.