Livingston Police Department Promotes Two, Hires Three New Officers

The Livingston Police Department (LPD) recently celebrated the promotions of Sgt. Thomas Cheff to the rank of lieutenant and Officer Gregory Drucks to the rank of Sergeant as well the hiring of officers Anthony Domanowski, Elham Dervishi and Eugene Tolliver during a special ceremony held outside 9/11 Memorial Garden.

With the mayor and council, township manager and deputy manager and several other local dignitaries and department heads in attendance for this special moment, LPD Chief Gary Marshuetz presented each of the new officers and the two promoted officers to the community and officially swore them into their respective positions.

“This department is special, and we get to be very selective when we pick officers for our department,” said Marshuetz, who explained that all prospective hires undergo a rigorous process to become a Livingston police officer that in addition to the academy also includes writing samples, multiple interviews and more. “We have a team of people that goes through the selection process, and I think the new officers can tell you that it’s not an easy process…We know that we have a good thing here, so we’re looking for people we think are going to be a good fit because we know they’re going to be here for a very long time.”

Township Manager Barry Lewis also spoke during the event, stating that although he relies heavily on the police chief and captains during the selection process, he was honored to present the recent hires and also thanked their families for allowing these officers to risk their lives every day for the community they serve.

“This town is a wonderful town for many reasons, and, of course, the safety that we feel in this town is of the utmost importance,” said Mayor Ed Meinhardt. “So we thank you for all that you do, and we congratulate you, we congratulate all the families, and we look forward to seeing you all on the road and in town.”

The mayor and members of the township council took turns swearing in the officers to their new positions. More about each officer can be found below.

Sgt. Thomas Cheff Promoted to Rank of Lieutenant:

Lt. Cheff graduated from Montclair State University with a political science degree and was hired to the Livingston Police Department in 2001. He was promoted to the rank of sergeant in 2016 and is now the shift commander of squad four, which is a night shift. Cheff also has previous experience as a dispatcher, making him a major asset in training new dispatchers at the LPD. 

When he’s not at work, Lt. Cheff is the boys lacrosse director for his township’s lacrosse club. With him for the ceremony were his wife, Jen, and his three sons, Dante, Mason and Logan.

Officer Gregory Drucks Promoted to Rank of Sergeant:

Drucks was hired to the LPD in March 1999 and was officially promoted to the rank of sergeant on July 1, 2022. He graduated from the Essex County Police Academy in June 1996 and holds an associate’s degree from the University of Hartford as well as a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Maryland.

Upon graduating from the police academy, Drucks was hired as a police officer in Roseland. He currently serves as a patrol supervisor assigned to squad one, which is a day shift, and is also responsible for maintaining the LPD’s social media platform.

He has also previously served as a member of LPD Special Response Unit and is an instructor with the Law Enforcement Against Drugs and Violence (L.E.A.D.) program at Livingston Public Schools.

With him during the ceremony were his wife, Cindy; his daughters, Ashley and Amanda; and his father, Arthur. As a veteran of the United States Army, Arthur was invited to pin the new badge on his son’s uniform.

Officer Anthony Domanowski:

Domanowski, who graduated from the Monmouth County Police Academy in 2017, was hired to the LPD on July 1, 2022. He holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Ocean County Community College. 

Prior to joining the LPD, Domanowski served as an officer with the Green Brook Township Police Department for four-and-a-half years. He is currently assigned to the nighttime patrol squad and holds a rank of purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu, competing at both the national and international level in jiu jitsu.

With him for the ceremony was his fiancée, Jamie O’Leary.

Officer Elham Dervishi:

Dervishi graduated from the Morris County Public Safety Academy in June 2022 and was hired to the LPD in July. He holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and legal studies from William Paterson University, graduating magna cum laude, and is fluent in both English and Albanian. He is currently assigned to a daytime patrol unit. In his free time, he participates in marathons and Ironman competitions.

Although Dervishi was up against “a lot of potential candidates who already had law enforcement experience,” the chief noted that Dervishi “was so sincere and such a gentleman and seemed like he was mature beyond his years” during the interview process that the LPD recruited him straight out of the academy. 

With him for the ceremony was his girlfriend, Claudia Ortiz.

Officer Eugene Tolliver:

Tolliver, who holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Kean University and graduated from the Passaic County Police Academy in October 2015, was hired to the LPD on Sept. 1, 2022. 

Prior to joining the LPD, Tolliver was an East Orange police officer for three-and-a-half years—working on the patrol division, street crimes division and the violent crimes task force—and worked for the past three years as a detective for the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office in the trial unit, the Patterson ceasefire unit and the Special Victims Unit. 

Among the family members with him for the ceremony were his son, Jason, who celebrated his 12th birthday that day, and his father, a retired corporal from the Morris County Sheriff’s Department, who pinned the new badge onto his son’s uniform.

To more information on L.E.A.D., please visit www.leadrugs.org

Original article: https://www.tapinto.net/towns/livingston/sections/police-and-fire/articles/livingston-police-department-promotes-two-hires-three-new-officers