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Strategic Planning & Support Bureau

Leadership is more than just rank; it is an endless pursuit of improvement, an attitude that inspires, and a willingness to make bold, necessary change. At the CCPD, we promise to lead by example

Strategic Planning & Support Bureau

Captain Kevin Lutz

Captain Kevin Lutz began his law enforcement career in 2002 with the Oaklyn Police Department before joining the former Camden City Police Department in 2006.

With the former Camden City Police Department, Captain Lutz served in various assignments to include the SWAT team, Tactical Force Division, Violent Crimes Task Force, HIDTA Narcotics Task Force, and the Strategic Multi-Agency Shooting and Homicide Task Force. He joined the Camden County Police Department in 2013, where he was assigned to supervise all training related functions of the Police Department and the Camden County College Police Academy. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2013, Lieutenant in 2015 and Captain in 2019, with command assignments of the Investigative Bureau and, most recently, Strategic Operations.

Captain Lutz has earned numerous awards and commendations throughout his law enforcement career for heroism, bravery, and meritorious service.  He has assisted the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) in the creation of two national publications:  Integrating Communications, Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) de-escalation training guide as well as a suicide by cop response protocol and training guide. Captain Lutz is a subject matter expert in use of force and continues to promote national de-escalation efforts, use of force training and reform.

Captain Lutz is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps. He holds a bachelor’s degree in public administration and a master’s degree in administrative science, both from Farleigh Dickinson University, and is a  graduate of the 67th session of PERF’s Senior Management Institute for Police.

Lieutenant Ella Roberts

Lieutenant Ella Roberts began her law enforcement career in 1996 when she joined the former Camden Police Department. She served in a variety of capacities while there as an officer, detective and Acting Sergeant, including community policing, patrol, the Juvenile Bureau, Special Victims Unit and the mayor’s security detail.

In 2013 she joined the Camden County Police Department where she started in patrol before being assigned as a Sergeant to Internal Affairs from 2014 to 2018. She was promoted to Lieutenant in 2017 and in March 2018 was assigned as commander of the Body Worn Camera Unit. She is certified as a methods of instruction and radar instructor at the Camden County College Police Academy.

Lieutenant Michael Shomo

Lieutenant Michael Shomo began his law enforcement career in 2002 with the Cape May City Police Department. He then worked for the Westville Police Department from 2003 to 2009 where he served as an officer and detective before joining the Atlantic County Prosecutors Office as a detective. In 2013, he joined the Camden County Police Department. He holds an A.A.S. from Gloucester County College and a B.A. and an M.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

During his time with the Camden County Police Department, he was initially assigned to the Community Safety Team before being promoted to detective and assigned to the General Investigations Unit.  He was then assigned to the Violent Crimes Task Force and eventually to the Shooting Response Team, where he was responsible for investigating homicides, robberies and shootings. In 2016, he was promoted to Sergeant in the Patrol Division before being assigned to the Professional Standards Bureau as a supervisor in 2017. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant with the Camden County Police Department in 2019.

During his career, Lieutenant Shomo has received numerous citations and awards for his service and has earned numerous certifications in various areas of law enforcement.

Director Information Technology, Vijay Verma

Since 2009, Vijay Verma and his consulting firm “Ozitus International Inc.” have managed the Department’s technology operations, integrating cutting-edge technology systems in direct support of the Department’s mission and goals.

Mr. Verma leverages his team’s experience, continuously evaluating the business requirements of all departments to determine next generation technology needs, devising and establishing IT policies and systems to support the implementation of strategies set by the Chief of Police.

Mr. Verma brings more than fifteen years of technology experience directly supporting law enforcement operations. Mr. Verma has played a key role in the planning and mobilizing the Department’s data-driven approach to real-time policing. His efforts have contributed directly to the Department’s public safety accomplishments, which include driving crime to record lows.

Mr. Verma has over four decades of experience in information technology and management consulting services, with an educational background including a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A) in Information Systems, Graduate in Public Sector Management (Australia) and Certificate in ISO 9000 Quality Systems Management. He possess both international credentials and a global career history, having worked in the United States, Australia and India in a variety of managerial and technical positions in both government, and private sector organizations, including: water utility, treasury, financial services, publishing, railways, school education and manufacturing organizations.

Mr. Verma currently serves as the Director of Information Technology and oversees the Departments Public Safety Information Technology Grid.

Sergeant Melva Moss

Sergeant Melva Moss has served in law enforcement in the City of Camden for more than 17 years, having joined the former city police department in January 2002.

As an officer, she served in patrol for several years before being assigned to conduct background investigations on new police recruits. She also served as a detective in the Juvenile Bureau and on the Violent Crimes Task Force.

Sergeant Moss joined the Camden County Police Department at its inception in 2013 and was assigned as a field training officer and then to the Camden County College Police Academy as an instructor for new recruits. She was promoted to Sergeant in December 2013 and assigned to supervise officers in the Neighborhood Response Team. She is currently assigned to the department’s Support Services Division.

Sergeant Moss has earned numerous awards and training certifications throughout her law enforcement career.

Sergeant Raphael Thornton

Sergeant Raphael Thornton began his law enforcement career in 1996 when he joined the former Camden City Police Department. During his time with the former city department, Sergeant Thornton served in many capacities including: community policing, patrol, tactical force, the HIDTA Task Force, the mayor’s security detail and the SWAT team.

Upon joining the Camden County Police Department in 2013, he served as a field training officer and front-line supervisor before being assigned to the Camden County College Police Academy as the lead instructor. Sergeant Thornton is currently assigned as the lead Camden County Police Department training sergeant.

He is an expert instructor for active shooter and Integrated Communication Assessment and Tactics (ICAT) training. Sergeant Thornton also serves as the department’s lead firearms instructor specializing in small arms and rifle operations.

Sergeant Thornton has earned numerous awards, commendations, citations and training certificates throughout his law enforcement career.

Sergeant Anthony Aceto

Sergeant Anthony Aceto began his law enforcement career in 1994 after graduating from the Ocean County Police Academy. He served a majority of his career in Burlington County and joined the Camden County Police Department in 2013. He has studied Justice Administration at Ocean County College and Thomas Edison State College.

Throughout his career, Sergeant Aceto has served as a field training officer, crime prevention officer and school resource officer. He was a physical conditioning instructor for the Burlington County Police Academy. He received counter-terrorism training from the FBI, the New Jersey State Police and New Jersey Office of Counter-Terrorism and was assigned as a liaison for Level 1 counter-terrorism training for law enforcement officers.

Sergeant Aceto currently serves as the Camden County Police Department Training Bureau supervisor and field training officer coordinator where he oversees agency training and the officer field training program. In addition, Sergeant Aceto is the chief instructor for the Camden County College Police Academy, and is responsible for all academy recruit training, working cooperatively with multiple agencies throughout the state. He was promoted to the rank of Sergeant in 2016.

Sergeant Aceto has earned numerous awards and commendations throughout his law enforcement career for life-saving, heroism, and meritorious service, including a medal for good citizenship from the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. He is also a recipient of the police academy instructor award from the Camden County Police Chiefs Association.

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