TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, NJ.—Family and friends filled and spilled out of Council Chambers on Jan. 20, there to cheer on Chief of Police Richard Skinner and Captain of Police John Calamari at their ceremonial swearings in.
Special Law Enforcement Officers II sworn in with their families and friends looking on with pride were Robert Luscombe and Antonio Parisi.
And young resident Alex Hammer, whom the police and fire departments have adopted as one of their own, stood with officers as a former chief for a day, looking quite at home in his Class A uniform—and confidently in remission from cancer.
Skinner and Calamari formally were sworn in Dec. 2, 2019, following a brief internal search, with the promotions announced the next day.
Both men are 26-year veterans of the department. Skinner was officer in charge following the Oct. 31 retirement of Chief Glenn Hooper.
Members of the promotion committee were Hooper, Township Administrator Robert Tovo, and Police Director William Cicchetti, a former chief of the WTPD.
This Jan. 20, Mayor Calamari had the pleasure of swearing in and congratulating his brother amid fanfare.
Cicchetti, who has been with the department 50 years—a tenure he said “is coming to an end soon”—thanked his committee and Mayor Calamari.
“I’ve known Rich and John since they were rookie patrolmen and I’ve been very proud watching them grow into this job for years,” he said.
He added, “Because [the mayor’s] brother was involved, he told us, set up your committee, do your testing, and whoever you pick I’m going to support no matter what. And he stayed out of it until he signed the letter I gave him with the promotions. I want to thank you, mayor, for doing that.”
Mayor Calamari said, “The selection committee had their work cut out for them.”
Invocation was by Father Tom Norton. On hand was Chief John Russo, president of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association, as well as many veterans of the township police department and other law enforcement families.
Capt. Calamari, the department’s new executive officer, said in part, “Obviously captain is a privilege and an honor and I’m humbled by this rank and this opportunity.”
He added, gesturing toward assembled officers at the front of the room, “There’s a greater honor and privilege that I had every single day, and that’s working with this group right here. This is your township police department. They do themselves proud—they make us proud—and I’m honored to just be a part of them.”
He said, “I tell every new guy when they’re hired, you’re joining a family, and the WTPD is a family, it’s a tight-knit group. We’re a small department but we’re as tight as you can get.”
Calamari said, “We laugh together, we cry together, we mourn together, we celebrate births together—it’s an extremely tight group and we’re extremely proud of that…”
He thanked retired officer Robert La Bianca, his first partner, “who taught me what it means to be a police officer, what it means to be a cop”; retired Sgt. David Mino, “a special supervisor for me,” who taught him to “care for the people you’re in charge of; and retired Ptl. Drew Krafte, who schooled him in “the brotherhood” of police.
Capt. Calamari said he met Skinner and now retired Sgt. Ken Scherer in 1993 in a hallway at the Bergen Regional Medical Center, there for their “wannabe cop” physicals. That led, he said, to “a phenomenal friendship, a phenomenal partnership, ever since.”
Skinner said, “We did pass the medical and we did pass the psych too, which worked out pretty well.” The chief thanked a deep bench of supporters—including the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club—the department, and the residents, without whom he said, “We would not be here.”
‘Alex, come on up…’
Calling Alex over to stand with him as he took his oath of office, Skinner said he knew as soon as he encountered the young man for the first time, in 2017, and shared in his enthusiasm and winning attitude that he knew the youngster would beat cancer.
Alex’s mother, Krista, told Pascack Press shortly after, “I didn’t think he was going to call him up there, but he did and Alex was so honored. He was definitely excited to match Skinner exactly.”
She said Alex finished treatment in March 2019 and goes in for monthly checkups. “And that’s it. Hopefully it’s behind us.”
She said Alex is eager to be a cop and that the chief is his mentor.
Skinner said of his department in full, “These ladies and gentlemen are out on nights, holidays, and weekends. When you’re home sleeping tonight they’re going to keep you safe.”
He extended deep thanks to the Marine Corps Honor Guard, among whose members he served with three.
“It’s my proudest moment to have these guys here tonight,” the former Marine sergeant said.
Of Capt. Calamari, Skinner said, “I generally don’t make a decision without running it past John.”
And noting that the ceremony took place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Skinner quoted the slain civil rights leader: “The time is always right to do what is right. We’re going to do what is right and make this [town] even better than it is and we’re going to serve our residents,” he said.
Skinner holds a master of administrative science from Fairleigh Dickinson University, with a bachelor’s in public administration.
In the department, he spent most of his time in patrol, where he served as patrol commander, training coordinator, and Internal Affairs supervisor. As captain he was executive officer.
Skinner was a founding member of the Bergen County Rapid Deployment Force, where he served as a platoon commander and less lethal weapons trainer.
As a member of the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Computer Crime Task Force, he was active in the investigation and arrest of child predators.
Skinner also is a former D.A.R.E and school resource officer. He served on the state D.A.R.E. training team, where he trained at police academies all around New Jersey. He also was an executive board member of the NJ D.A.R.E Officers Association.
Skinner told Pascack Press that community policing has been his department highlight.
In 2000 he started the Washington Township Junior Police academy, which has grown over the past 18 years to become the Pascack Valley Junior Police Academy, with more than 100 students attending annually.
He has helped several police departments start their own junior police academy programs.
His awards include Township of Washington Police Department Meritorious Service Award, PBA 206 President’s Unit Citation, two End DWI Awards, three CPR lifesaving awards, a Bergen County Chiefs Association 9/11 Service Award, 2002 Knights of Columbus Police Officer of the Year, 2013 North Jersey Regional Crime Prevention Officer of the year, 2014 Irish Echo Leaders in Law Enforcement Award, and 2015 Knights of Columbus Community Service award.
Capt. Calamari was born and raised in Washington Township and attended Bergen Catholic High School and Seton Hall University, where he majored in political science.
He joined the WTPD in August 1993. He graduated from 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.
In the Detective Bureau, he conducted investigations into all violent crime, drug and narcotic crime, and property crime that occurred within the Township. He coordinated multi-jurisdictional criminal investigations and worked several investigative details and criminal cases with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office as well as the federal Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and Federal Bureau of Investigations.
He made detective sergeant in 2009 and lieutenant in 2015. Throughout his career, John served the following duties and assignments: 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.
