TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON—Police Captain John Calamari, sworn in to his current role Jan. 20, 2020, has been tapped to advance to chief, replacing fellow WTPD veteran Richard Skinner, who is retiring.
The two men formally were sworn in as captain and chief, respectively, on Dec. 2, 2019, following a brief internal search.
The Township Council voted, 4-1, Dec. 4 to approve a three-year contract with John Calamari to serve as Chief of Police effective Jan. 1, 2024.
The no-vote was cast by council vice president Steven Cascio, who challenged the employment agreement—though not the hiring choice—alleging that it could constitute a conflict of interest for Mayor Peter Calamari, John Calamari’s brother, and saying he has never been in favor of an employment agreement between an at-will employee and the township.
He asked why a chief of police should have such an agreement when no other municipal employee has one.
He also noted a salary increase given to Skinner, which was carried over for the incoming chief, which he claimed the council had not approved.
Township attorney Kenneth Poller said in contrast that Public Safety Director James Giblin, not the mayor, is the chief’s immediate supervisor. He said the contract for chief was handled by the town’s labor counsel, and the mayor was not involved in the selection of the new police chief.
Poller said that the council was directing the mayor to sign the contract for John Calamari’s employment.
The mayor’s family ties in public service dogged him in his first, successful run for the gavel. At a candidate forum in Oct. 2021, Calamari pointed out that he supported the town’s ordinance on nepotism and lauded his bother’s police work—noting that he took pains to distance himself from promotion talks.
(See “Transparency, intersection, development, and dog park feature at mayor, council candidates forum Oct. 12,” John Snyder, Pascack Press.)
Proud of achievements
Captain Calamari told Pascack Press on Dec. 13 of his recent responsibilities on the leadership team, “I was blessed to be second in command of an incredibly dedicated, motivated, intelligent, and talented group of officers and civilians. Working together we accomplished a lot.”
He said, “When Rich became chief and I became captain, we came in with a vision and goals to accomplish: We prioritized upgrading and updating equipment, systems and policies and procedures in the department. Firearms were upgraded. Scheduling software was acquired and implemented. Officers were trained and equipped with Tasers. A document management system was acquired and implemented. Body-worn cameras were acquired and officers were trained on their use and equipped with them. Personnel management software was acquired and implemented to monitor and track officer performance. An industry standard evidence management and inventory system and software was implemented.”
He said changes mandated by the county prosecutor and state attorney general, and new legislation, “were constant,” with mandatory training “increased exponentially, new use of force and pursuit policies issued, marijuana legalized/decriminalized [statewide], body-worn cameras made mandatory, and Internal Affairs policies updated several times.”
Calamari said, “My time as captain will always be marked by the Covid-19 pandemic. The world locked down. People were scared and people were dying. It was a time of great uncertainty. Information was scarce, unreliable, unpredictable and often conflicting.”
He said, “While every segment of society and our community were affected, law enforcement was particularly challenged. Many workplaces closed down for the protection of their staff. Work from home exploded. But police did not have that luxury. Working together we did what we could to protect and serve the community as well as keep one another safe. Officers quarantined themselves from their families so they could continue to do their jobs and serve while also keeping loved ones safe.”
Calamari said, “I will always be proudest of how my officers and department handled those challenges and got the job done. I am blessed to be able to say that at a time when heroism was common, I worked among the greatest heroes I will ever know.”
He said the “culmination” of his time as captain is the WTPD achieving NJSACOP accreditation. On-site inspection was Nov. 20, and appearance before the NJSACOP Accreditation Board is March 2024.
“This project was long overdue. Previous chiefs researched the project and it was Chief Skinner who initiated it,” Calamari said. “The process forced us to rethink and explain everything we do and how we do it. Policies and procedures were implemented where they previously did not exist. Existing policies and procedures were updated to best practice and industry standards. Equipment and infrastructure were upgraded.”
He said, “It was a tremendous project that required everyone to pitch in and as always, the WTPD came together and got it done.”
His new starting base salary is $215,000, with annual raises of 1.75% to 2.75%. He also negotiated benefits on time off and professional development, and a full-sized, four-door four-wheel drive unmarked vehicle for police and personal use.
Calamari was born and raised in the township and attended Bergen Catholic High School and Seton Hall University, where he majored in political science. He joined the WTPD in August 1993, graduated Bergen County Police and Fire Academy Class #71, and was assigned to the Patrol Division. He was assigned to the Detective Bureau in 2004 and promoted to detective in 2005.
He made detective sergeant in 2009 and lieutenant in 2015.
Calamari served in various capacities on his way up: juvenile officer, Megan’s Law officer, evidence officer, Internal Affairs officer, firearms instructor, 911 coordinator, domestic violence liaison officer, patrol rifle instructor, background investigations officer, gang task force liaison, alcoholic beverage compliance officer, terminal agency coordinator, uniform crime reporter, and public information officer.
— With Michael Olohan