ERMA – Donald Vanaman was promoted to Deputy Chief of the Lower Township Police Department on September 21, 2023. His swearing in ceremony was November 6, 2023, where his fiancée, Jessica Fritzinger, was holding the Bible and his daughter, Liberty and his son-in-law, LTPD Officer Billy Kocis, pinned his badge. He was also accompanied by his three other children Marshal, Avery and Jack, as well as his grandson, Dominic.
Deputy Chief Donald Vanaman is the first person in the history of the department to hold this rank. As Deputy Chief, he will oversee numerous departmental tasks, some of which include: Internal Affairs/Early Warning, Accreditation, Public Information Officer, Traffic/DWI Grants, Patrol Division, Detective Bureau, Support Operations/Training, Records Bureau and Police Licensing (Effective January 2024).
He is in his 28th year of law enforcement and has worked for the Lower Township Police Department for over 20 years, beginning as a Patrol Officer and moving up through the ranks to Captain. He was on the Lower Township SWAT team and the CMC Regional SWAT and Sniper teams as well. DC Vanaman served on active duty as a U.S. Army Military Police Soldier then Sergeant for five years and then transitioned to the U.S. Army Reserves where he still currently serves as a Special Agent with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), holding the rank of Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4). He has served oversees in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo, Macedonia, Korea and Ireland. He has also served stateside in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C., Hawaii and New Jersey.
Deputy Chief Vanaman is a graduate of the Gloucester County Police Academy, NJ Department of Corrections Academy, New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police’s (NJSACOP) Command and Leadership Course, Front Line Supervision, Police Executive Institute (18th Session), Accreditation Manager and the Foundation for Executive Leadership courses. He has also completed the Infrastructure Protection Certification, Command Level Resiliency, Command Level Evidence & Property Management Course, OPRA & Records Management Course, Police Risk Management, Critical Incident Planning, Disaster Management, Proactive Police Supervision, ICS 100 – 800, Holtz Police Supervision, SWAT, Sniper and the Drug Recognition Expert certification.
Deputy Chief Vanaman is a recipient of the New Jersey VFW Law Enforcement of the Year Award, a LTPD Distinguished Service Award, the NJDOC Academy Professionalism Award, the Sergeant Audie Murphy Award, Commandant’s List in WOCS; U.S. Army Bronze Star, 5 Army Commendations Medals, 7 Army Achievement Medals, Kosovo Campaign Medal, Iraqi Campaign Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Parachutist’s Badge, Canadian Parachutist’s Badge, and numerous other medals and ribbons.
