The Manchester Township Police Department is pleased to announce the hiring of Patrol Officer Ashley Ventura, who took her oath of office, administered by Mayor Joseph Hankins, during the December 15, 2025, Manchester Township Council meeting.
Ptl. Ventura, 28, was born in Jackson Township to parents Jennifer and the late Robert Ventura, who proudly served with the Jackson Township Police Department. Ptl. Ventura attended Saint John Vianney High School, graduating in 2015. She went on to earn a Division I softball scholarship to Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. After college, Ptl. Ventura began working with adults with disabilities while also coaching travel softball.
In 2021, inspired by the legacy of her father who passed away in the line of duty in 2001, Ptl. Ventura pursued a career in law enforcement. She joined the Toms River Police Department as a Class I Booking Officer and later that year attended the Ocean County Police Academy as a SLEO II recruit for the Seaside Park Police Department. In 2022, she was hired full-time by the West Windsor Police Department.
While serving in West Windsor, Ptl. Ventura took special interest in community policing and actively assisted with the Youth Academy, the Winter Special Olympics, and the C.O.P.S. (Concerns of Police Survivors) Outward Bound Program. She was regarded by her shift mates as dependable, professional, and an excellent team player.
“I join with all of our department’s officers to welcome Ptl. Ventura to the Manchester Police family,” said Chief Antonio Ellis. “We look forward to the many ways in which Ptl. Ventura will utilize her interest in community policing to contribute to our department and community.”
Ptl. Ventura will now begin the Manchester Township Police Department’s intensive Field Training and Evaluation Program, where she will be instructed and mentored by several highly trained officers.
“I would like to thank Mayor Hankins, members of the Township Council, and Township Administration as they continue to support our police department’s mission to provide our residents with the highest possible level of service,” said Chief Ellis. “We all wish Ptl. Ventura well as she begins the next chapter of her law enforcement career here in Manchester Township.”