By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
With his wife and three sons standing beside him, police Sgt. Brian Caloiaro was sworn in as the new police lieutenant by Township Councilman James Kownacki at the Township Council meeting Tuesday night.
Lt. Caloiaro fills the police lieutenant vacancy created when former Lt. Mark Ubry was promoted to chief of police last week. Lt. Caloiaro is one of three police lieutenants, which includes Lt. Charles B. Edgar and Lt. Thomas Ritter.
Chief Ubry told Township Council and the audience — which included about a dozen current and retired police officers — that Lt. Caloiaro grew up in the Colonial Lakelands section of Lawrence Township with his parents and two brothers, both of whom are Lawrence Township police officers.
"Law enforcement runs deep in the Caloiaro family," Chief Ubry said. "Brian’s father, Joseph Calioaro, was a New Jersey State Police lieutenant, and his uncle, Chet Williams, was a lieutenant with the Lawrence Township Police Department. Brian’s older brother, Joseph Caloiaro, is a sergeant and his twin brother, Scott, is a detective."
Lt. Caloiaro graduated from Lawrence High School, where he was the captain of the football and baseball teams, Chief Ubry said. He also played football and earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at Wilkes College in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
He was hired as a Lawrence Township police officer soon after graduation in 1994, and was assigned to the patrol division. He was one of the first Lawrence police officers trained in community policing and was assigned to the community response unit, which focuses on quality of life issues, Chief Ubry said.
Lt. Caloiaro became the first school resource officer in 1999, and divided his time between Lawrence Middle School and Lawrence High School. He was promoted to sergeant in 2001, and assigned to the patrol division. He is an instructor at the Mercer County Police Academy.
Then it was Councilman Kownacki’s turn to swear in Sgt. Caloiaro to his new post, with his wife, Tammy, and sons Michael, Ryan and Matthew standing at his side. Matthew, who is 6 years old, looked up at his father with a smile on his face as the councilman swore him in.
Ms. Caloiaro pinned the lieutenant’s badge on her husband’s light blue dress uniform jacket.
With his hands clasped in front of him, an emotional Lt. Caloiaro thanked his co-workers in the Police Department and his wife and family. Over the past 20 years, his wife has supported him "in good times and in bad times," he said, as he thanked her "for all you do for the family."
Lt. Caloiaro also thanked Chief Ubry for "having faith in me to do the job," and his family and friends for coming out to support him. Then, he approached Township Council and shook hands with the council members and Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun.

