LONGPORT – Commissioner of Public Safety Dan Lawler Wednesday administer a new oath of office for two Longport Police officers being promoted to the rank of sergeant.
Officer Frank Lupperger and Gabriel Guerrieri were joined by family members as they swore to uphold the Constitution of the United States and the Sate of New Jersey under the authority of the people.
Lupperger who hails from the East Vineland/Buena Vista area is a graduate of Buena Regional High School and earned an associate degree in Criminal Justice from Atlantic Cape Community College. He has served as a volunteer firefighter with the Minotola Fire Department for 12 years.
He began his law enforcement career as a Special Law Enforcement Officer 2 in Sea Isle City after graduating from the Cape May County Police Academy in 2008. He went on to work alongside FBI and NJ State Police at the Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office from 2010–2013, and was hired as a member of the Longport Police Department in 2013.
Lupperger is a certified EMT, founded the department’s Community Policing Unit, oversees the Drone Unit, and serves as both Humane Law Enforcement Officer and Resiliency Officer.
He attended specialized training with the FBI in technology-based investigations, and has become a resource for other law enforcement agencies throughout the county and state regarding vehicle theft investigations.
Guerrieri of Ventnor is a 2006 graduate of Holy Spirit where he excelled in three sports.
He attended LaSalle University on a football scholarship and later graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Business from Stockton University. He served on the Atlantic City Beach Patrol for eight years.
Guerrieri started his law enforcement career in 2015 as a SLEO 2 officer in Atlantic City and joined the Longport Police Department in 2016.
He is also a certified EMT, manages all medical supplies for the department, is a firearms instructor and investigator, and provides other officers with active shooter training.
During his time in Longport, he developed and commands the department’s Water Rescue Program, which critical for keeping patrol officers and residents safe in a town surrounded on three sides by water.
For the last seven years, he has bee deeply involved in the community, volunteering as a youth baseball, basketball and football coach in Northfield, where he currently resides with his partner Marina. They are parenting three children, Jacob, Gabriela and Eli, and are expecting their fourth child in July.
“In this profession, you truly get to know someone when you walk with them through the real highs and lows of life, both on and off duty,” Police Chief Ray Burgan said. “I have watched both Gabe and Frank face immense challenges with tremendous resilience, always showing up for this department and this community when it mattered most.”
Burgan said both officers have earned their promotions through years of hard work, dedication and proven readiness.
“As their chief, I could not be happier to see them step into this next chapter of leadership, not only with this agency, but within this community.”
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