Lower Makefield names first deputy chief

Lower Makefield has named the first deputy police chief in the township’s history.
The promotion of Robert Lewis from captain to the new rank was officially honored by officials, fellow officers, family and friends at the Nov. 17 supervisors meeting, where the crowd also celebrated three other promotions and the addition of three new patrol officers to the force.
Lewis is a 27-year veteran of the Lower Makefield department, starting as a patrol officer in 1994 and rising steadily through the ranks, culminating in his promotion to captain in 2016 and now the latest jump to deputy chief.
“I have an extreme amount of confidence in Officer Lewis,” said township Police Chief Ken Coluzzi, who added that Lewis will continue to be the department’s second-in-command and be in charge whenever the chief is off, as Lewis did when he was a captain.
Coluzzi said the creation of the new rank and the naming of Lewis to fill it is in line with a measure recently approved by the supervisors that enables the chief to make changes in the department’s command structure that better enables it to meet standards of accountability brought on by reform initiatives.

The new title also has kind of a positive ripple effect throughout the department, creating more advancement opportunities for others, the chief added.

“A lot of times when ranks don’t change, police departments can become stagnant,” Coluzzi said. “It’s a morale issue.”
Other promotions celebrated at the Nov. 17 meeting were Colin McTamany from patrol officer to corporal, Brian Golder from sergeant to lieutenant and Jason Braim from lieutenant to captain.
All are multi-year veterans of the force and have distinguished themselves in many ways during their time in the department, police officials said.
The new patrol officers are Brendan Montemarano, Kevin Riley and Jevin Downs. Montemarano is a Falls Township resident who attended Rider University. Downs is a fourth-generation police officer who previously worked for the Philadelphia department, and Riley is a Cheltenham resident and Abington High School graduate with four years of previous law enforcement experience.
“You have the trust of the township supervisors and your command in the police department,” Coluzzi told the new officers. “Now, it’s up to you to go out every day into the community, perform your duties, and meet with residents and gain their trust.”

---

Join our readers whose generous donations are making it possible for you to read our news coverage. Help keep local journalism alive and our community strong. Donate today.