S.B. finds good Luck in search for new captain
26-year police veteran's promotion completes shift in command structure
BY CHRIS GAETANO
Staff Writer

South Brunswick

SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Lifelong township resident and 26-year police department veteran Gary Luck has been promoted to the rank of captain in charge of operations command.

The Monmouth Junction resident's advancement completes the three-captain structure the department transitioned to in July 2006.

As captain, Luck, who is also the president of the local Fraternal Order of Police chapter, will oversee the 54 officers and two lieutenants responsible for police patrols. Under his command, the new captain hopes to reduce response times and increase the number of focused patrols in problem areas. One way he has already done so is by increasing the number of patrol zones from three to four, which allows more officers to cover a smaller area.

"My goal is to cut down on response time and ... how we are doing that [is] by putting more officers on the road available to answer the call to cut down on the area the officer has to respond to," said Luck.

He credited these changes to an increased commitment by the township to hiring more officers, both to replace those lost to retirement as well as to simply meet the needs of a growing town. Luck said that he knows that with all the moves from Trenton to reduce property taxes, the township's focus on keeping the department well staffed was especially admirable.

"We have a number of officers we thought we would need and times are tough, with [Gov. Jon] Corzine and the 4 percent cap, and it's tough, budgets are tough. But I have to say, these guys ... they came through with it," said Luck.

He said he would like to eventually implement a system where people can contact the police through the Internet. Luck also mentioned a desire to use his experience as a resource for younger officers, acting as a mentor for those in the force.

Throughout his years in the department, Luck has worn many hats, from investigating narcotics to juvenile crimes, but he holds a special fondness for patrols, a division he has returned to time and time again. It seemed only appropriate, then, that this was what he ended up in charge of with his promotion.

"I didn't want to do the same thing every day in this job and that's why I love patrol, because every day it offers something different. You never know what's going to happen," said Luck.

His promotion completes the three-captain command structure the department changed to last year, with the other two captains being Harry Delgado, in charge of administration, and Patrick Owens, in charge of investigation. The restructuring came at the recommendation of Chief Raymond Hayducka and was supported by the Township Council as a move that would increase efficiency for a growing municipality. Under the previous command structure, operations and investigations were under the same wing. When the recommendation was put before the council, it was also touted as a cost-saving measure, with a captain working nights reducing the number of officers needing to work overtime.

Luck grew up in the Kingston section of South Brunswick, where some of his family members still live and attended Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville. He is married and has two children enrolled in South Brunswick's public schools

After a brief stint at General Motors, which he does not recall fondly, he joined the police department in August of 1980. In that time, he has received numerous awards and accolades, such as a lifesaving medal for entering a smoke-filled apartment and saving an unconscious man inside, and a county resolution for responding to the terrorist attacks on 9/11.

According to Luck, the shifting challenges that police officers face have escalated over the years, especially with regard to keeping up with an ever-changing standard for what law enforcement officers can and cannot do. He noted that when he first joined the force, older officers would say that they used to be able to fire a warning shot at someone.

Despite his years of experience, Luck has faced frequent criticism from coworkers for his devotion to the Boston Red Sox in a department dominated by Yankees fans. He said that due to the influence of his mother's side of the family, which hails from Boston, the team has become a passion for him despite unforgiving surroundings.

Despite this, his years in police work has drawn praise from Hayducka, who noted that there are very few places in the department that Luck has not worked in at one time or another.

"He's a true police officer. He lives and breathes the profession, he's been a role model for many people, he's helped me a lot. Anything that's being done around here, he has his thumb print on it. Somehow, someway, he's done something where he's helped set it up," said Hayducka.