LMT Police Chiefs over the years:

CHIEF JOSEPH D. KELLY III (2025-Present)

Joseph Kelly III was sworn in as the Chief of Police on April 1, 2025. 

• Background: Before joining LMTPD, he served for 10 years as the Chief of Police in nearby Yardley Borough.
• Experience: His 30+ year career includes 23 years with the NJ Transit Police Department, where he retired as a Deputy Chief.
• Key Focus: Under his leadership, the township has already implemented a new departmental staffing structure and promoted several new command officers.

CHIEF KENNETH D. COLUZZI (2000-2024)

• Legacy: He grew the department to 42 officers and introduced the use of Narcan in 2015.
• Prior Career: Coluzzi spent 22 years with the Philadelphia Police Department, rising to a commander in the homicide and sex crimes units.
• Notable Work: He was instrumental in identifying Joseph Augustus Zarelli (the "Boy in the Box") in 2022, a case he began working on in 1989. 

CHIEF CHARLES E. RONALDO (1969-1999)

Leadership and Tenure

• Decades of Service: Ronaldo led the department through a period of significant township growth, serving as its head from the late 1960s until his death in 1999.
• Department Growth: Under his command, the force evolved from a smaller rural unit into a modern, professional suburban department.
• Legacy of Stability: His long tenure provided decades of continuity for Lower Makefield's law enforcement before the modern era.

ROBERT WATERSON (1951-1968)

Robert Waterson was a pioneer of law enforcement in the township, serving as the first Chief of Police for Lower Makefield.

Establishment of the Department

• Founder: Waterson is credited with organizing the township's formal police force. Before his appointment, the area was served by individual township constables.
• Tenure: He led the department during its foundational years in the 1950s, establishing the initial protocols and structures that allowed the force to grow alongside the township's post-war suburban development.

Historical Context

His leadership preceded the long tenures of Chief Charles Ronaldo and Chief Kenneth Coluzzi. While Waterson’s force was significantly smaller than the current 40+ officer department, he set the precedent for the professionalized agency that exists today under Chief Joseph D. Kelly III.

LMT Police Vehicles over the years