Two veteran law enforcement officials have been tapped to lead the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office detective division.
Brian Kiely has been named chief and Anthony Petracca was appointed deputy chief. Both are residents of Hamilton Township..
“Brian and Tony are both consummate professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experience,” said Mercer County Prosecutor Janetta Marbrey. “Brian has been instrumental during my first year as prosecutor as an asset in advancing my priorities and vision for the office.
"I look forward to working with them as we continue to promote justice for all, strengthen public safety and bridge the gap between law enforcement and our communities in Mercer County.”
Kiely has spent the majority of his 26-year law enforcement career with the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
After graduating college, he worked as a civil investigator and later a state investigator with the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.
In 2002, he was assigned to the Division of Criminal Justice Major Narcotics Bureau and spent a year with the U.S. Customs Narcotics Interdiction Unit identifying drug couriers entering the country through Newark Liberty International Airport.
Kiely joined the prosecutor’s office in 2006 as a detective and rose through the ranks. As a sergeant, he supervised the Trial, Grand Jury and Juvenile units, along with the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force.
As a lieutenant and captain, Kiely oversaw all Major Crimes units, including Special Victims, Internet Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking, Humane Law Enforcement and the Mercer County Homicide Task Force.
While serving as deputy chief, Kiely played a key role in launching ARRIVE Together in Mercer County and in acquiring a digital evidence management system to centralize and streamline evidence.
He also helped shape the office’s Barricaded Individual Policy, which brings together mental health professionals, tactical responders and prosecutors during incidents involving individuals in crisis.
Kiely has prioritized violent crime reduction, advances in crime-fighting technology, and engagement with the Mercer County community and law enforcement partners.
He has received numerous honors, including a certificate of appreciation from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association Law Enforcement Award, an Innovation Award for Operation Golden Triangle, and the Top Gun Award.
In 2005, he received the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice Director’s Award for Outstanding Investigation and Dedication to Criminal Investigations.
Kiely earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice. He is a graduate of the Division of Criminal Justice Police Academy and the FBI-LEEDA Supervisor Institute, and attended the FBI Mid-Atlantic Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar in 2024.
He volunteers at community events, including Special Olympics, and serves as an Eagle Scout advisor with Scouting America. He previously served as Scoutmaster of Troop 180A.
Petracca, a lifelong New Jersey resident, began his law enforcement career in 1995 with the former Princeton Borough Police Department. He served in the Patrol Division and later in the community policing Safe Neighborhood Unit.
He joined the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office in 2001 as a detective and was assigned to the Grand Jury and Domestic Violence units. He later spent six years in the Special Investigations Unit and nine years in the Special Victims, Trial and Insurance Fraud units before retiring in 2020.
After retiring from the prosecutor’s office, Petracca worked for the West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District. He later joined the West Windsor Police Department, where he most recently served as a Special Law Enforcement Officer Class III.
Petracca has received several awards, including the 1999 Princeton Borough Officer of the Year, the New Jersey Narcotics Enforcement Officers Association Law Enforcement Award, and the New Jersey Sex Crimes Officers Association Outstanding Law Enforcement Award.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in political science from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in education from Seton Hall University, and a juris doctor from Seton Hall University School of Law.
“Brian and Tony are both consummate professionals with a wealth of knowledge and experience,” Marbrey said.