Kevin D. Lutz
Director, OLEPS
Director
Kevin D. Lutz
Attorney General Matthew Platkin appointed Kevin D. Lutz to serve as Director of the Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards (OLEPS), effective January 1, 2024. Director Lutz comes to OLEPS with vast experience as a law enforcement officer, specializing in police training and reform initiatives.
After 4 years of service in the United States Marine Corps, Lutz entered into law enforcement with the Oaklyn, NJ Police Department. He joined the Camden City (later Camden County) Police Department in 2006 where he served in a variety of operational, investigative, and command assignments including the SWAT team, Homicide and Narcotics Federal Task Force, training, community outreach, and professional standards. After reaching the rank of Captain with the Camden County Police Department, Lutz most recently served as the Chief of Police for the Rutgers University Police Department-Camden. He brings to OLEPS exceptional experience on a variety of law enforcement topics that strengthens OLEPS’ primary mission to ensure transparency, accountability and integrity of law enforcement practices.
Lutz earned a national reputation as an expert in police reform focusing on de-escalation training, use of force, defensive tactics, and community engagement initiatives. Perhaps most notably, in 2020, Lutz testified before the Minnesota Police-Involved Deadly Force Encounters Working Group as an expert witness and subject matter expert. Lutz received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fairleigh Dickinson University, and he is a graduate of the 67th session of the Senior Management Institute for Police. He has received numerous awards and commendations throughout his law enforcement career and continues to promote best-practices in policing.
Mike Messenger
Chief of Staff, OLEPS
Mike Messenger, Chief of Staff
Mike Messenger currently serves as the Chief of Staff of the Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards. Prior to joining OLEPS in May of 2024, Chief of Staff Messenger served in the Federal Bureau of Investigation for over 25 years. Chief of Staff Messenger held a variety of operational and leadership roles within the FBI which include Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Newark Division with oversight of Civil Rights, Health Care Fraud, Public Corruption and Complex Financial Crimes investigations throughout the entire state of NJ. At the time of his retirement in 2022, Chief of Staff Messenger served as the Newark Division Acting Special Agent in Charge, overseeing the 8th largest FBI Field Office, hundreds of personnel and millions of dollars of resources focused on mitigating criminal and national security threats throughout New Jersey, Additional duties throughout his distinguished career include the on-scene commander for numerous high-priority incidents, including domestic terrorism, international terrorism, fugitive matters, and FBI SWAT resource deployments.
Prior to his work in Newark, Chief of Staff Messenger held leadership roles in the FBI Philadelphia Division and FBI Headquarters where he led multiple units at the FBI Headquarters Counterterrorism Division. He created and managed the e-Guardian threat monitoring system, which streamlined the process for federal, state, and local partners to share terrorism-related information seamlessly in the post-9/11 world. Messenger was also selected to lead the White House Office of the Program Manager Suspicious Activity Reporting initiative, which aimed to efficiently share information in the domestic and international arena on potential criminal and national security threats.
Chief of Staff Messenger is the recipient of numerous awards, including the FBI Director’s Medal of Excellence for Outstanding Leadership, and he holds a B.S. in political science & international relations from Rowan University.
Christine Kim Neeman
Deputy Director, OLEPS
Christine Kim Neeman, Deputy Director
AAG Christine Kim Neeman serves as Deputy Director of the Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards (OLEPS). She joined the office in 2013 as a Deputy Attorney General within the Legal Unit. In her current position, Deputy Director Neeman oversees OLEPS’ Legal, Investigative, and Analytic Units, and assists the Director in the overall management and supervision of each unit. Her duties include oversight over State Police training, policies, and procedures in furtherance of OLEPS’ mission to ensure transparency, accountability, and integrity of law enforcement practices. Neeman also provides general advice and guidance to the executive staff and the various units of the office.
Deputy Director Neeman previously served in the Division of Law’s Corrections and State Police Section from 2011 to 2013. Prior to joining DOL, she was a member of the Department’s Volunteer Associates in Public Service Program in 2009. She then worked in private practice focusing on civil defense litigation before returning to public service. Deputy Director Neeman clerked for the Hon. Gerald J. Council, Presiding Judge, Criminal Division, Mercer County and she holds a J.D. from Widener Law School and a B.S.B.A. from American University.