West Caldwell Promotes Its Finest in Formal Ceremony

As spouses, parents and children proudly looked on, eight police officers were sworn into new positions in the West Caldwell Police Department Tuesday.

"This is an exciting, special occasion," commented West Caldwell Mayor Joseph Tempesta. To accommodate family and friends, the special council meeting was held at the Center for the Performing Arts.

"With no disrespect to surrounding areas, I think we have the best trained forces in the state," Tempesta added, noting the eight officers had to undergo an interview process with West Caldwell Police Chief Michael Bramhall as well as the governing body. "You should be proud of these men," Tempesta informed the crowd.

After Bramhall recounted career highlights, each officer was sworn in individually by Tempesta while a family member held the bible.

The promoted officers are the following:

• Captain Gerard Paris—Captain Paris joined the police department in 1986 after graduating from the N.J. State Police Academy's Municipal Class. He was assigned to the patrol division. He was appointed a detective in 1996 and assigned to the detective bureau where he remained until he was promoted to Sergeant in January 1998 and reassigned to the patrol division as a squad supervisor. Paris returned to the detective bureau in December 2000 as the Commander. In January 2002, Paris attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va. and graduated in March 2002. He was promoted in May 2003 to Lieutenant and assigned as a shift commander.
• Lieutenant John Kopf—Lt. Kopf joined the police department in 1988 after graduating from the Police Academy's Municipal class. From 1992 through 2000 he was assigned to the emergency services unit as an emergency medical technician. During this period he also served as a field training officer for newly hired officers. In September 2000, he was assigned as a Patrol Corporal. In June 2003, Kopf was assigned to the detective bureau and still serves as the department's fire investigator. In July 2005 Kopf was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to the patrol division as a squad supervisor. Kopf still serves as an in-service training instructor, and officer in charge of the emergency services unit. Kopf will now be assigned to the patrol division as a shift commander.
• Lieutenant Thomas A. Bryant, Jr.—Lt. Bryant joined the police department in December, 1988 after graduating from the Police Academy's Municipal Class. From 1998 through 2003 Bryant was assigned to teach the D.A.R.E. program at  and  elementary schools and also assigned to James Caldwell High School as the School Resource Officer. In May 2003, Bryant was assigned to the detective bureau and served as the bureau's Juvenile Officer. In July 2005, Bryant was promoted to Sergeant and assigned as the detective bureau commander. In addition to graduating from the Police Academy, Bryant holds a bachelor's in criminal justice from Florida State University and a master's from Seton Hall University in Supervision and Administration. 
• Lieutenant William J. Coughlin—Lt. Coughlin joined the police department in September, 1978 after graduating from the Police Academy's Municipal Class. Coughlin held the rank of Corporal from 1988 to 1996. In March, 1996 he was promoted to Sergeant in the patrol division as a squad supervisor. Coughlin has an associate's degree in criminal justice and has attended numerous police in-service training courses. He will remain in the patrol division as a tour commander.
• Sergeant Shaun O'Dowd—Sgt. O'Dowd joined the police department in September, 1997 after graduating from the Police Academy's Municipal Class. O'Dowd was assigned as a Corporal in the patrol division in 2005 and was assigned to the detective bureau in 2006 until 2009 when he returned to the patrol division. O'Dowd will now return to the detective bureau where he will serve as Detective Sergeant.
• Sergeant Dennis Capriglione—Sgt. Capriglione joined the police department in July, 2000 after graduating from Morris County's Police Academy. In June 2006 he was assigned as a Corporal in the patrol division. In November 2009, Capriglione was assigned as a detective in the detective bureau. In September 2010, he graduated from the 38th class of Top Gun.  In June 2011, Capriglione was assigned to the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Major Crimes Task Force. He will now be assigned to the patrol division as a Squad Sergeant.
• Sergeant Paul Vanikiotis—Sgt. Vanikiotis graduated from Morris County College in 1993 with an associate's in management science. He then graduated from Kean University in 1995 with a bachelor's in management science. In December 1995, Vanikiotis was hired by the Roseland Police Department and graduated from the Essex County Police Department in June 1996. While employed with the Roseland Police Department, Vanikiotis was a D.A.R.E. officer from 2000 to 2002 at the Lester C. Noecker School and was also assigned to the traffic bureau from 1998 to 2003. Vanikiotis joined the West Caldwell Police Dept. in May 2003 and has been assigned to the patrol division. He is a Radar instructor, O.C. (pepper spray) instructor and a Field Training Officer in the agency. Vanikiotis will now be assigned to the patrol division as a patrol squad supervisor.
• Sergeant Declan Beere—Sgt. Beere joined the police department in July 2000 after graduating from the Morris County Police Academy. In August 2005, Beere was assigned as Patrol Corporal. From April of 2006 until October 2011, Beere was assigned to the detective bureau, where for the past six months he has been the officer in charge. He will now be assigned to the patrol division as a squad supervisor.

In addition to family and friends, Essex County Sherrif Armando Fontoura, Caldwell Police Chief Kurt Dombrowski, North Caldwell Police Chief Mark Deuer, as well as police officers from Fairfield and Montclair attended the ceremony.