Aberdeen Hires Three New Police Officers; Names New Deputy Chief

ABERDEEN, NJ — In a move designed to prepare its police department for the future, Aberdeen Township announced a series of three new police hires and four promotions, and Captain Alan Geyer was promoted to deputy chief.

All were officially sworn in Wednesday in a ceremony outside Town Hall.

Geyer, whose promotion was effective July 1, was appointed second-in-command by Township Manager Bryan Russell to fill the position that had been vacant after Rick Derechailo was promoted to chief in January 2019.

Geyer has served in numerous capacities since joining the Aberdeen Police Department in 1987, including six years in the Detective Bureau, followed by an assignment to Traffic Safety as Traffic Sergeant.

His promotion created a domino effect of promotions of veteran officers within the department, with Matthew Lloyd named Captain, Craig Hausmann appointed Lieutenant, and Raymond Campbell elevated to Sergeant. Their promotions were effective September 1.

Lloyd is an 18-year veteran of the department who served for three years in the Bayshore Narcotics Task Force and in the Aberdeen Police Department’s traffic division. In 2018, he was promoted to Lieutenant and assigned as Patrol Commander in the Operations Division.

Hausmann joined the department on Sept. 1, 2001 and has served as its instructor in the Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D.) program. He was promoted to Sergeant and assigned to the Patrol Division in 2018.

Campbell is a 14-year veteran of the department, joining as a dispatcher shortly after graduating high school. During his time in the department, he has served as firearms instructor and was selected to serve on the Monmouth County Rapid Deployment Force.

The three newly hired officers (who all live in Aberdeen) are Andrew Gioia, Liam Gallagher and Thomas Wagner. They were immediately assigned to the Patrol Division. All are replacing recently retired officers.

Gioia, 26, earned a bachelor’s degree from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and previously worked as a police officer at Brookdale Community College. He has also serves as a volunteer fireman with the Aberdeen Township Hose and Chemical Co.

Gallagher, 23, earned a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Scranton and was employed as a special law enforcement officer in the Keansburg Police Department. Wagner, 25, graduated in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Kutztown University and served as a special law enforcement officer in the Sea Girt Police Department.