Longtime Lower Makefield Police Chief Retiring

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA —In a distinguished law enforcement career that included investigating the famous "Boy in the Box" case in Philadelphia, Police Chief Kenneth Coluzzi is calling it a career.

Coluzzi announced his retirement Thursday, marking the end of a 48-year career in law enforcement.

For 24 years, Coluzzi led the Lower Makefield Township Police Department while also taking on roles as the township's emergency management coordinator and temporary township manager.

“For 24 years, Coluzzi’s vision and leadership have made the Lower Makefield Police Department a premier police agency," Deputy Police Chief Bob Lewis and staff said in a statement. "He’s led by example, never wavering in his personal or professional standards. The chief’s endless dedication and selfless contributions to the community and the men and women of the LMT PD cannot be overstated. He's left an indelible mark on our department and his legacy will live on beyond his years of service.”

Coluzzi began his career in Philadelphia in 1978 and rose through the ranks, highlighting many violent crimes and murder cases.

Coluzzi oversaw some of the city’s highest-profile investigations, such as the rape and murder of Shannon Scheiber, the collapse of Pier34 Club Heat, the fatal shooting of Philly Police Officer Charles Knox, and the 1991 murder of Cigna Employee on the JFK Parkway by Hahnemann Hospital Psychiatrist Jean Claude Pierre Hill.

Coluzzi worked for the Philadelphia Police Homicide Unit in the 1980s and 1990s with duties that included heading the special investigations unit and fugitive squad.

He was also deputized as a U.S. Marshal for the apprehension of dangerous fugitives and later supervised the FBI Federal Fugitive Task Force.

During that time, he also investigated the unresolved homicide in North Philadelphia known as the "Boy in the Box."

It was the case of a young boy found beaten and wrapped in a blanket in a box in Philadelphia that finally was resolved in December 2022.

During his career, Coluzzi received numerous commendations including the prestigious award for bravery. He was also honored by the Chapel of the Four Chaplins for his service.

He was named as LMT's police chief on Oct. 9, 2000.

Coluzzi reorganized the police department and achieved state accreditation status.

When the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks claimed the lives of eight township residents, Coluzzi and his department worked with family members, including the family of Victor Saracini, pilot of the United Flight 175, by providing security as well as assisting them in identifying their loved ones.

In 2015, Coluzzi introduced Narcan, the opioid reversal drug, and pushed for the use of Naloxone for every Bucks County police department, which estimated that 42 lives were saved from its use in the township.