Police Officers Promoted as 5 Retire From Force

The Montville Township municipal building meeting room was filled with police presence Tuesday night, but no one was getting arrested.

Five police officers were promoted and sworn in to their new ranks as Montville Township Police Chief Richard Cook said five officers will be retiring at the end of December.

"We currently have five officers retiring at the end of the year. They consist of two captains, two lieutenants and one patrolman," Cook said. "In order to prepare for this, the township has hired four new officers this year."

Of the four new officers, Cook said one is already on the road while the other three are planning to graduate from the police academy on Thursday. The three officers graduating from the academy were also sworn in Tuesday.

"I would like to thank the township committee for their support in approving the new hires and the promotions and their continued support as we move the department forward," Cook said.

Here is more information about the promoted and new officers:

NEW OFFICERS

Robert Szczur-Szczur has lived in Montville since 2002 and is a Montville Township High School graduate from 2007. He graduated with a degree in criminal justice from Seton Hall University.

Anthony Condurso- A lifelong Montville resident, Condurso graduated from Seton Hall Preparatory School in 2007 and attended Seton Hall University and County College of Morris. He also serves as a volunteer firefighter with the Montville Township Fire Department and is a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Reserves after joining in 2011.

Robert Koetzner- Koetzner has lived in Towaco since 2001 and also graduated from Montville Township High School in 2007. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. and was deployed to Iraq in 2008 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. He continues to serve as a corporal and squad leader with the U.S. Marine Reserves and has a degree in law enforcement from the County College of Morris. He is a volunteer with the Towaco Fire Department.

PROMOTED OFFICERS

Capt. Rudolph Applemann- Applemann was promoted from the lieutenant rank. He has been a member of the police department since 1986 where he has served in the Community Policing Unit, Patrol Division and Detective Bureau. In 1990, Applemann was recognized as "Patrolman of the Year" and made the most DWI arrests in 1989 and 1990. He was promoted to sergeant in 1998 and was appointed as the township's Office of Emergency Management coordinator in 2000, a role he continues to fill. Applemann was honored with an Honorable Service award from the Parsippany Police Department in 2002 for his assistance in arresting a bank robbery suspect. He was promoted to the lieutenant ranking in 2004 and became a shift commander. 

Lt. Mark Olsson- Olsson was promoted from the sergeant rank. He has been a police officer since 1995 and as promoted to sergeant in 2004. He continues to be the department's supervising arms instructor and one of the department's field training officers. He was hnorably discharged as a corporal from the U.S. Marine Corps. Reserves. He is a lifelong resident of Montville Township and a volunteer with the Montville Township Fire Department.

Lt. Andrew Caggiano- Caggiano was promoted from the sergeant rank. He became a police officer in 1997 after graduating the police academy. In 2000, he became a detective and in January 2004 he was promoted to sergeant. Caggiano became a supervisor in the Detective Bureau and as the commander in August 2010.

Lt. William Aquilio- Aquilio was promoted from the sergeant rank. He has been a police officer since 1998 and was promoted to sergeant in 2009. In addition to being an EMT and First Aid instructor, Aquilio is an acedemy instructor and certified Field Training Officer. He heads the department's Rapid Deployment Team.

Sgt. Christopher Keezer- Keezer was promoted from the patrolman rank. He has been a police officer from 1997 and served in the U.S. Marine Corps. In his new role, he will become the commander of the Detective Bureau, where he has been working for the past several years. He is also a certified Firearms Instructor.

Sgt. Carlo Marucci- Marucci was promoted from the patrolman rank. He has been a member of the Montville Township Police Department since 2001 and has served in the patrol division for 11 years. He is also a certified Firearms Instructor and Field Training Officer. Marucci is a lifelong resident of Montville Township.