Lower Township Police Department Promotes 4 Officers, Welcomes 2 New Officers

ERMA – The Lower Township Police Department promoted four police officers and welcomed two new officers, all who took the oath of office at the Lower Township Council Meeting June 17, 2019.
According to a release, one officer was promoted to the rank of captain, two officers to the rank of lieutenant and one officer to the rank of detective sergeant.  
The promoted officers listed by rank and seniority were:
Administrative Capt. William Priole – No.139, is a 27-year veteran of the police department.  He was hired in the fall of 1991 and graduated from the Atlantic County Police Academy in February 1992.  
His career accomplishments include Officer of the Year and he was a member of the department’s Fatal Crash Investigation Team.  
He was promoted to patrol sergeant in June 2011 and subsequently promoted to lieutenant in August 2015.  
Priole graduated from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) Command and Leadership Academy in 2017.  This highly competitive 14-week Academy aims to fashion officers into police leaders who can meet challenges in the law enforcement community.  
His assignment as administrative captain will involve a variety of administrative duties, including general oversight of personnel and equipment requirements of the department.
Lt. Douglas Whitten – No. 152, is a 25-year veteran hired in September 1994.  He earned his Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Atlantic Cape Community College and continued his studies towards a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Rowan University.  
He received the Academic Achievement Award upon graduating from the Cape May County Police Academy and had the highest score in the state on the police promotional exam.  
Whitten is a past recipient of the Lower Township Police Department Outstanding Achievement and Commitment Award.  He has been certified by the Division of Criminal Justice in Community Policing and Crime Prevention and is an instructor in defensive tactics, self-defense, expandable baton, patrol concepts and fair and impartial policing.  
In 2019, he graduated from the NJSACOP Command and Leadership Academy.  His assignment as lieutenant will be as the Investigative Division commander.
Lt. Kevin Lewis – No.181, is a 13-year veteran, hired in January 2006.  He earned an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice from Andrew Jackson University.  
He has 31 years of service in the NJ Army National Guard, where he is still serving at the rank of Command Sergeant Major.  
Lewis served in Iraq from April 2003 through April 2004.  He is an 11-year member of the Cape May County Regional SWAT team and serves as a Field Training Officer for newly hired Lower Township Police Officers.  
Lewis was awarded the VFW Gold Medal Officer of the Year Award in 2006 and was also awarded a Physical Fitness Award in the same year.  His assignment as Lieutenant will be in the Patrol Division.
Detective Sgt. Brian McEwing – No.185, is a 12-year veteran of the Lower Township Police Department.  He graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School and began his career as a Class II Officer in 2003 while attending Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.  
McEwing returned in 2007 to accept a full-time position where he received the Academic and Director’s Awards upon graduating the Cape May County Police Academy.  
McEwing holds an Associate’s Degree from Atlantic Cape Community College.  In 2013, he was assigned to the Detective Division and in addition to conducting criminal investigations, holds the position of Municipal Humane Law Enforcement Officer and Fatal Automobile Crash Team Leader.  His assignment as Sergeant will be in the Detective Division.  
New Officers
The two new officers graduated from the Cape May County Police Academy Basic Course for Police Officers, Class 46, where they successfully completed 22 weeks of residential training at the Cape May County Police Academy and have earned the distinction of being a Patrol Officer with the Lower Township Police Department.
Each officer must complete at least four months of field training with a designated field training officer (FTO).  The FTO will further guide and instruct the new officers in applying what they learned in the police academy to real-life situations.  
They will be carefully monitored and evaluated by their FTO on a daily basis.  After completion of field training, the officers will be assigned to a patrol squad where they will be closely mentored by a patrol sergeant during a one-year probationary period.  
This vigorous training and monitoring are critical to producing the finest officers for Lower Township.
New officers listed by seniority:
Patrol Officer Eric Campbell – No. 214, is a lifelong resident of Lower Township.  He graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School in 2011.
Campbell graduated from the Cape May County Police Academy SLEO Class 49 in 2016.  He worked for Lower Township Police Department as a SLEO II until January of 2019 and then he attended the Cape May County Police Academy Basic Course for Police Officers (BCPO) Class 46, graduating ninth in the class of 58.
Patrol Officer Austin Parker – No. 215, is a lifetime resident of Lower Township.  He graduated from Lower Cape May Regional High School in 2012 and from York College of Pennsylvania in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice.
He graduated from the Cape May County Police Academy SLEO Class 45 in 2014.  He was previously employed by Wildwood Crest Police Department, (Class I and Class II), Lower Township Police Department (Class II) and Cape May Police Department (Class II).  
He graduated from the Cape May County Police Academy BCPO Class 46, finishing third overall in the class.