NJ hero cop charged with snooping on records of people he knew

🔴 Brielle officer looked up information about people

🔴 He was promoted to detective in 2021

BRIELLE – A veteran police officer accused of using law enforcement databases for personal use was charged with third-degree computer theft.

Brian M. Dreher, 37, of Brick, was using multiple computer databases to look up information about people in his personal life between December 2020 and November 2023, officials said.

“When any officer engages in this type of conduct, he/she violates the trust and integrity of the community in which they have sworn to protect and serve" Brielle Police Chief Gary Olsen said in a statement.

"Police officers are held to a higher standard, and it is essential that we always do the right thing in order to maintain public confidence in our police department," Olsen said. "Behavior such as this is unacceptable, and will never be tolerated.”

Dreher is suspended without pay.

According to the Brielle police department's Facebook page, Dreher was promoted to detective in 2021. He was lauded in 2015 for rescuing a man who was passed out with a leg caught in the NJ Transit tracks and participated in the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey.

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