Evesham Township police welcomed seven new officers at an Aug. 14 council meeting.
Edward DiMattia has served for 25 years as an officer in Cherry Hill. While there, he was a field training officer and member of the department’s civil disobedience, community policing and traffic-safety units. DiMattia also served as an instructor at the junior and citizen police academies, as well as for the Camden and Gloucester County police departments.
Police Chief Walt Miller noted that DiMattia will be sworn in as a Class-3 officer.
“Class-3 officers provide school security,” Miller explained. “We currently have 11 Class-3 officers in 10 different schools within the township. Ed will be staffing the Van Zant Elementary School over in the Woodstream area.”
Kevin Bucceroni served the Bellmawr Police Department for three years. He graduated from Triton Regional High School in 2015 and continued his education at the College of the Holy Cross, where he earned a scholarship to play football at the Division 1 level. Bucceroni graduated from the college in 2020 with a bachelor’s in history and a concentration on race and ethnicity.
Samuel Cruz comes from Eastampton Township, where he earned an associate’s degree in education. He spent six years as a correctional officer for the state’s prisons and was an officer in the NJ Transit police department for nearly two years.
Miller noted that Cruz and Bucceroni have already completed police academy training based on prior police employment, so they will go directly on patrol. The following four officers will go through training at the Camden County Police Academy and are set to graduate on Dec. 19:
- Kelly King is from Washington Township and attended Camden County Community College to obtain an associate’s degree. She served four years as a police dispatcher for Burlington County, which helped King gain experience in communication. crisis management and problem solving.
- Donte McElveen was born and raised in Willingboro and now resides in Evesham. He attended Rancocas Valley Regional High School, then Rutgers University, where he earned a bachelor’s in psychology. McElveen spent seven years in the behavioral health field working with children diagnosed with severe autism and other behavioral disorders.
- Michael Tumminello grew up in Woodbridge Township and now lives in Evesham. He attended Saint Joseph’s High School in Metuchen and is a longtime athlete. A passion for sports led him to become a personal trainer at 18, and during COVID, Tumminello successfully launched his own personal-training business.
- Alexander Washington is from Washington Township but grew up in Philadelphia. He attended East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania, where he earned a bachelor’s in criminal justice.
Mayor Jackie Veasy addressed the new officers at the meeting.
“I just want to thank all of you for being part of the Evesham police and township family,” she said. “We can never thank you enough for you service to our community and for taking care of all of us. So, as you take this pledge, just know that it really means a lot to us as residents of Evesham that you’re willing to serve our community.”
