Princeton Police Chief Jon Bucchere and Lt. Benjamin Gering were honored with proclamations upon their retirement from the Princeton Police Department at the Princeton Council’s July 22 meeting.
Bucchere and Gering joined the Princeton Police Department as patrol officers within months of each other in 2000. Gering joined in April and Bucchere joined in August. Their retirements are effective July 31.
Bucchere rose through the ranks to become a detective, patrol sergeant, detective sergeant and Safe Neighborhoods Bureau sergeant, according to the proclamation issued by Mayor Mark Freda.
Bucchere also served as administrative lieutenant, patrol lieutenant and captain, before topping off his career as police chief.
“Chief Bucchere, as chief of police, displayed transformational leadership that saw the diversity within the police department expand, our community policing footprint grow and our stakeholder involvement grow,” the proclamation said.
Gering also rose through the ranks to become a corporal, sergeant, detective sergeant, and lieutenant.
He served in various roles within the Princeton Police Department, including serving on the Community Action Team and the Mercer County Child Abduction Response Team. He was also a DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) instructor in the schools.
As the lieutenant, Gering was the commander of the Traffic Safety Bureau, Special Events coordinator, Body Worn Camera coordinator and court liaison, according to the proclamation.
Gering served as a task force officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force. He oversaw and participated in large-scale criminal and counter-terrorism investigations, the proclamation said.
“Benjamin Gering has served the community of Princeton with pride, and upon the occasion of his retirement, is deserved of recognition and the highest commendation,” the proclamation said.
Bucchere and Gering were also praised by a Princeton resident and business owner during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Andrew Siegel, whose family owns Hamilton Jewelers, said he grew up in Princeton and recalled seeing the two police officers early in their careers.
“I was 12 years old when they started (on the Princeton Police Department), and they were the cops we used to see when we were walking to school or biking into town, in the community and really out there in the schools,” Siegel said.
“It was my distinct pleasure to come back to town to work for my family’s business and to see they were still here and to look at them as true partners,” he said.
The two police officers’ dedication to service is unmatched and all the accolades they received are well-deserved, Siegel said.
