Vineland promotes 6 police officers at City Hall ceremony
VINELAND — City Hall was the site of a promotion ceremony Monday for six police officers, who variously made the jump to sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.
Mayor Anthony Fanucci administered the six their new police oaths before an audience of their families, friends and fellow officers packed into City Council chambers.
The promoted and their new ranks are Brian Armstrong, captain; Danny Latorre and Ryan Watkins, lieutenants; and Nelson Gonzalez, Michael Dennis, and Fred DeMary Jr., sergeants.
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Armstrong thanked Fanucci, the City Council, Chief Pedro Casiano, and Public Safety Director Edwin Alicea for making the promotions happen.
"Without you guys and your support, promotions here today would not have been possible," Armstrong said. "We appreciate your support. We know, going out there every day, you guys have our backs. And it makes our job easier. We appreciate that tremendously."
Casiano gave some work histories for the six officers.
Armstrong started here in 2009. He joined the Street Crimes Unit in 2012 and made sergeant in 2015. He was promoted to lieutenant in 2019. He now is commander of the Patrol Division.
Latorre started with the city as dispatcher in 2002, and then an officer in 2004. His assignments have includes tours at the Street Crimes Unit, Patrol Division, narcotics unit, and Community Policing. He was promoted to sergeant in 2015. He will oversee the Services Division, which includes Community Policing, juvenile, and Traffic Safety units.
Watkins started as an officer in 2009. In 2016, he was assigned to the Detective Bureau and in 2020 made sergeant. He is assigned to the Crime Scene Unit now.
Gonzalez started in 2004 and assigned to the Detective Bureau since 2015.
Dennis started as an officer in 2015 and since then has been with the Patrol Division. He will remain in that division.
DeMary, who started in 2017, is the son of a retired Vineland police officer.
Joe Smith is a N.E. Philly native transplanted to South Jersey 36 years ago, keeping an eye now on government in South Jersey. He is a former editor and current senior staff writer for The Daily Journal in Vineland, Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, and the Burlington County Times.
Have a tip? Reach out at jsmith@thedailyjournal.com. Support local journalism with a subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Vineland names new police captain, lieutenants, sergeants
