Glen Rock NJ, the Glen Rock Police have issued a statement concerning video taping and photography at police incidents .
Glen Rock Police : We have heard that some people have been questioning the fact that photos of juveniles and others have been taken at police incidents in the past by members of the press or public.
The taking of photographs and/or videos by private citizens and media personnel is permitted within areas open to general public access and occupancy and is permitted under the US Constitution in the First, Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. (Christopher Sharp v. Baltimore City Police Department, et. al.). No citizen has the expectation of privacy when they are in public regardless of their status as a victim, juvenile or offender.
A civilian may video record or photograph a police and public safety activities as long as they:
1. Remain at a reasonable distance;
2. Do not interfere with the duties and responsibilities of police and other public safety personnel;
3. Do not create a safety concern for the officer, a person detained, a victim, other persons or themselves.
A citizen’s right to record police activity is coextensive with that of the press. There should be no burden on an individual’s right to record police activity than they place on members of the press. A citizen does not need “press credentials” to record police officers engaged in the public discharge of their duties.
FYI :
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making any law respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise of religion, or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of the press, the right to peaceably assemble, or to petition for a governmental redress of grievances. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, as one of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of
The Fourth Amendment (Amendment IV) to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights that prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and requires any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause
The 14th amendment was adopted in 1868, after the American Civil War, and addresses the equal protection and rights of former slaves. The 14th amendment limits the action of state and local officials. In addition to equal protection under the law to all citizens, the amendment also addresses what is called “due process”, which prevents citizens from being illegally deprived of life, liberty, or property.
Newark NJ, in a huge move on Monday a U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls refused to dismiss any of the 18 criminal counts against U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez and Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, clearing the way for the pair’s bribery trial to enter the defense phase.
On Sunday the Ridgewood blog raised concerns that if the Menendez case gets tossed it would legalize bribery of public officials and that Federal prosecutors raised those concerns after U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls suggested that the overturning of the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell last year, the high court also invalidated the “stream of benefits” theory of bribery that prosecutors have used to build cases against Democrat Menendez and other public officials.
But Yesterday Judge Walls decided the felony corruption and bribery trial of Democrat Senator Bob Menendez will proceed on all counts. With over 84% of Menendez’s own constituents wanting him to resign if convicted, the Menendez trial could have major implications for the Trump agenda ,Healthcare , welfare reform and Tax reform .
South Hackensack NJ, Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced that a Newark man pleaded guilty today to a first-degree human trafficking charge for trafficking a girl, 16, from New York to New Jersey and making her work as a prostitute in the prostitution ring he ran, which advertised on Backpage.com.
Glen Bowman Sr., 42, of Newark, N.J., pleaded guilty today to first-degree conspiracy to commit human trafficking before Superior Court Judge Robert M. Vinci in Bergen County. Under the plea agreement, the state will recommend that Bowman be sentenced to 13 years in state prison, including five years of parole ineligibility. Bowman ran the prostitution ring with his wife, Ernestine Bowman, 33, of Orange, N.J. Ernestine Bowman pleaded guilty in December 2016 to second-degree facilitating human trafficking. She is awaiting sentencing and faces a recommended sentence of 10 years in prison, with 39 months of parole ineligibility.
Deputy Attorneys General Brandy Malfitano and Jamie Picard are prosecuting the case, and Malfitano took the guilty plea today for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, Human Trafficking Unit.
Five defendants were indicted in April 2015, and all have pleaded guilty, as a result of an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice and the South Hackensack Police Department. The defendants were charged with conspiring to traffic the 16-year-old from Brooklyn, N.Y., to make her work as a prostitute at motels in South Hackensack and Clifton, N.J. The couple’s son, Glen Bowman Jr., 23, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to promote prostitution and faces a recommended sentence of seven years in prison. Jessica Copeland, 29, of Newark, N.J. – who acted as boss or “bottom” over the prostitutes in the ring – pleaded guilty to second-degree facilitating human trafficking and faces a recommend sentence of six years in prison, including three years of parole ineligibility. Tokina Williams, 33, of Raleigh, N.C., pleaded guilty to second-degree promoting prostitution.
Sentencing for Glen Bowman Sr. is scheduled for Nov. 14. The other defendants, with the exception of Williams, are scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 25.
“This man threatened to beat the 16-year-old victim if she didn’t follow his orders and perform to his expectations for clients of his prostitution ring,” said Attorney General Porrino. “This plea will ensure that Bowman serves a lengthy sentence behind bars, where he can no longer subject young women and children to an unspeakable life of brutality and sexual slavery. I commend the South Hackensack Police and our attorneys for rescuing the victim and bringing those responsible to justice.”
“Our Human Trafficking Unit will continue to collaborate with other law enforcement agencies to apprehend and convict human traffickers,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “Human traffickers typically isolate their victims and remove them from any support system, so it is critical that members of the public notify us if they see a young woman or child in questionable circumstances. We will move swiftly to investigate and save victims like the teenage girl in this case.”
Attorney General Porrino and Director Honig urged anyone who suspects that individuals are engaged in sex- or labor-related human trafficking to confidentially report such activity by calling the Division of Criminal Justice’s 24-hour NJ Human Trafficking Hotline 855-END-NJ-HT (855-363-6548).
“Our department has been committed to conducting these undercover operations to flush out the criminality of prostitution and narcotics in our motels,” said Chief Joseph Terraccino of the South Hackensack Police Department. “We remain committed to rescuing these victims from the underworld and arresting the predators who are responsible.”
Deputy Attorneys General Malfitano and Picard are prosecuting the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Human Trafficking Unit, within the Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Annmarie Taggart and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis. The investigation was conducted for the Division of Criminal Justice by Detective Timothy Savage, Sgt. Noelle Holl, Lt. Lisa Cawley and the other detectives in the Human Trafficking Unit. Attorney General Porrino thanked the South Hackensack Police Department, under the leadership of Chief Joseph Terraccino, for their investigation and referral. Capt. Robert Kaiser, Lt. Robert Chinchar and Detective James Donatello led the investigation for the South Hackensack Police Department.
The investigation began as an undercover operation by the South Hackensack Police Department targeting a prostitution ring that advertised on Backpage.com. Such rings typically offer “escort services” and display nude or semi-nude photos of young women. An undercover officer responded to an advertisement that included a photo of a very young-looking female with her breasts exposed. The officer phoned the number in the ad on Oct. 1, 2014, and a woman told him that he could have “full sex” for $160 cash at a motel on Route 46 in South Hackensack.
The undercover officer was directed to a room, where a teenage girl answered the door. She repeated that the price of “full sex” was $160 and accepted $160 cash from the undercover officer. He asked why the bathroom door was closed and learned there was a woman in the bathroom, who turned out to be Tokina Williams. The teenage girl invited Williams to come out and told her that the client had paid to have sex with both of them. At that time, backup officers entered and arrested Williams and the teenage girl. The teenage girl was determined to be a 16-year-old who was reported missing out of New York State. She was the young female whose breasts were exposed in the photo in the ad on Backpage.com.
Further investigation revealed that the defendants had conspired to lure the 16-year-old victim into a life of prostitution. The victim met Glen Bowman Jr., in Brooklyn, N.Y., several months earlier, and he conspired with his father, Glen Bowman Sr., to traffic her to New Jersey to work in the prostitution ring. Both Glen Bowman Sr. and Copeland threatened the 16-year-old with physical violence if she did not follow their rules and perform to their expectations. The defendants drove the victim and other prostitutes to hotels and motels in South Hackensack, Clifton and other locations in northern New Jersey, where they serviced clients. At the end of the day, the defendants picked them up and collected the money they had been paid. Glen Bowman Sr. was the primary leader of the prostitution ring, but Ernestine Bowman took on a greater leadership role after her husband was arrested and imprisoned in New York in August 2014.
Wyckoff NJ, Joe Jonas, formerly of Wyckoff, and Sophie Turner, who plays Sansa Stark in the HBO series Game of Thrones, have announced their engagement on Sunday via social media.
Jonas, 28, the lead singer of the band DNCE, and is a former member of the Jonas Brothers. The brothers Joe, Kevin and Nick all grew up in Wyckoff. Turner, 21, who has played Sansa since 2011, hails from Chesterton, England.
Turner, who also plays Jean Grey in the “X-Men” movies, posted a photo to Instagram of herself wearing an engagement ring, with her hand resting on Jonas’ hand. The caption: “I said yes.” Jonas shared the same photo with the caption “She said yes.”
Ridgewood NJ, Federal prosecutors argue that if the Menendez case gets tossed it would legalize bribery of public officials. Faced with the grim prospect that a federal court judge may throw out some of the charges against Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez based on his reading of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision, federal prosecutors warned over the weekend that such a move would not only harm their case against Menendez but also “jettison the vast majority of bribery prosecutions” and “broadly legalize pay-to-play politics.”
Federal prosecutors raised those concerns after U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls suggested that the overturning of the conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell last year, the high court also invalidated the “stream of benefits” theory of bribery that prosecutors have used to build cases against Democrat Menendez and other public officials.
Glen Rock NJ, Police and fire departments from Glen Rock and Hawthorne responded to multiple 911 reports of a strong natural gas odor in the vicinity of Lincoln Avenue and Boulevard, Glen Rock/Warburton Avenue, Hawthorne on Sunday afternoon, 10/15. The source was identified as a vent pipe installed in connection with a nearby construction project. A PSE&G technician determined that a relief valve within the vent apparatus had failed which resulted in a constant gas release. A portion of Warburton Avenue in Hawthorne was closed to facilitate repairs by a PSE&G crew. Police and fire units were released from the scene following the deployment of portable traffic barricades. No structures were evacuated and no injuries were reported.
Ramsey NJ, from the Ramsey Office of Emergency Management ,the County of Bergen has contacted the Borough of Ramsey that they will be milling and paving a portion of North Central Avenue, from MacArthur Boulevard in Mahwah to High Street in Ramsey, starting on Monday October 16th. Weather permitting they are anticipating having it completed by Tuesday October 17th (2 day project). Please expect detours and periodic road closures.
Fort Lee NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced today that charges against CARMEN LOMBARDI (DOB: 10/24/1975; single; and employed as a vehicle inspector) have been upgraded to Leaving the Scene of a Fatal Motor Vehicle Collision in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-5.1, a second degree crime, and a new complaint summons was issued to him earlier today. LOMBARDI was previously charged with Leaving the Scene of a Motor Vehicle Collision Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1.1, a third degree crime, in connection with a hit and run accident that took place yesterday morning at the intersection of Lemoine Avenue and Bridge Plaza North in Fort Lee.
The 57-year-old female accident victim succumbed to her injuries last night while receiving care at Hackensack University Medical Center, which resulted in today’s upgraded charges. LOMBARDI’s initial appearance will still take place on November 3, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, N.J. The charge against LOMBARDI is merely an accusation and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
Fair Lawn NJ, Fair lawn Police arrested two men in connection with a hit-and-run reported at 3:14 a.m. on Saturday. Officers responded to a report of a pedestrian hit by a car on Plaza Road at Fair Lawn Avenue. The Police found a 29-year-old Park Ridge man on the ground with what police described as significant lower body injuries.
Witnesses reportedly told the police they were crossing Plaza Road at High Street when a blue 2006 Volkswagen Jetta almost hit them. When the Volkswagen stopped for a red light while traveling south on Fair Lawn Avenue, the group approached the vehicle and a fight ensued. A passenger from the vehicle pushed the Park Ridge man to the ground and got back inside the car, at which point he was run over, the vehicle then sped away.
The Police reported that the investigating officers found the occupants from the Volkswagen in another car parked in front of the Wells Fargo Bank at 22-11 Fair Lawn Avenue. As officers approached the vehicle, the driver attempted to flee. The officers were forced to stop the vehicle at gunpoint and arrested the driver, David Rodriguez, 21, of Fair Lawn, and a passenger, Danial Dushaj, 21, of Dix Hills, New York, when he did not comply with officers’ commands, police said.
According to police the blue 2006 Volkswagen Jetta was later recovered at Rodriguez’s residence on Hartley Place and impounded.
The victim was taken to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in Paterson.
Rodriguez faces charges of second degree aggravated assault, endangering the welfare of an injured person, leaving the scene of a crash with an injury, failure to report a crash, reckless driving, careless driving, two counts of failure to produce vehicle documents and failure to inspect. Rodriguez was expected to be sent to the Bergen County Jail.
Subsequent to the arrest, officers found marijuana on Dushaj’s person, police said. Dushaj was charged with obstruction of justice and drug possession, police said. Officers released him pending a court appearance.
Criminal Activity Alert – Auto Theft – West Saddle River Rd – Lock Vehicles – Remove Key Fob’s from ALL vehicles
October 15,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Saddle River NJ, the Saddle River Police report that on Thursday the 12th a vehicle was stolen from the driveway of a residence off of West Saddle River Rd. The vehicle was unlocked and the key fob was left in the vehicle.
Saddle River and several neighboring jurisdictions have experienced high end auto thefts and auto burglaries. If everyone removes the keys and key FOB’s from their vehicles these thefts will stop. Locking your vehicle when its in the driveway prevents car burglaries from occurring and deters criminals from our area.
If you see suspicious activity call the Saddle River Police desk anytime at 201-327-5300 or call 9-1-1
Address/Location
Saddle River NJ Police
83 E Allendale Rd
Saddle River, NJ 07458
Glen Rock NJ, in a very busy week for Glen Rock Police and Glen Rock Fire and EMS a Saturday afternoon, 10/14, two (2) vehicle crash in front of 229 Rock Road, Glen Rock resulted in two (2) victims being transported to The Valley Hospital by ambulance. Both vehicles were towed from the scene. Glen Rock Police and Glen Rock EMS responded.
Fair Lawn NJ,Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the arrest of KENNETH SMITH (DOB: 6/6/1971; single; and employed as a trucking company dispatcher) of Paterson, New Jersey on charges of Aggravated Arson and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon. The arrest is the result of a joint investigation conducted by members of the
Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti and the Fair Lawn Police Department under the direction of Chief Glenn Cauwels.
On June 27, 2017, the Fair Lawn Police Department received a 9-1-1 call reporting a fire at the Knights of Columbus located at 16-16 Maple Avenue, Fair Lawn, N.J. The
subsequent investigation revealed an unknown male threw a Molotov cocktail type device through the front window of the building. Responding police and fire units found the front office area engulfed in flames. The fire was contained to the front office area and did not spread into the remainder of the structure.
As a result of the investigation, Kenneth SMITH was arrested on Friday, October 13, 2017 in Paterson, New Jersey and charged with one count of Aggravated Arson, N.J.S.A.
2C:17-2a, a 2nd degree crime; and Possession of a Prohibited Weapon, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3, a 3rd degree crime. After being processed, Kenneth SMITH was remanded to the Bergen
County Jail pending a first appearance at the Bergen County Central Judicial Court on Monday, October 16, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.
Prosecutor Grewal states that these charges are merely accusations and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,
and would also like to thank the Fair Lawn Police Department and the Paterson Police Department for their assistance in this investigation
Rivervale NJ, Assemblywomen Holly Schepisi moves to set the record straight . “As a result of having no platform or positions of their own, the women running against us rely solely on running a negative campaign against me. Over the next several weeks I will set the record straight on every negative and false claim made by them against me.”
FACT VS FICTION
Today’s attack – Claiming that I wouldn’t vote on legislation to keep guns out of the hands of mentally ill persons, my opponents state “You deserve a representative that shows up to work, makes tough decisions, and keeps you safe.”
My response – Despite New Jersey having some of the strictest gun safety policies in the nation, more than 49 additional bills have been brought to the legislature for a vote during my five years in the Assembly. Several bills have been proposed regarding mental health. I do not know which particular bill my opponents are attacking me on but in 2015 I had to miss several session days during my recovery from brain surgery to repair a brain aneurysm. Two years later, in 2017, I missed a session to attend my five year old son’s kindergarten graduation. I would certainly hope that the women running against me are not saying I should be penalized as a result of being very ill or for being a mom.
I have long been a proponent of sensible gun safety measures to get weapons out of the hands of criminals, terrorists and the mentally ill. Yet, as a victim of two violent crimes in my early twenties I understand the importance of second amendment rights in order to protect oneself.
With respect to my votes over the past five years on gun safety, I believe in sensible gun legislation. I voted in favor of keeping guns out of the hands of carjackers, gang members, and racketeers among other dangerous people. I voted in favor of stronger background checks and increasing penalties for unlawful possession, improper use, and removing a gun’s identification marks. I am the prime sponsor of a bill to ban bump stocks, as I personally believe their only purpose is to circumvent a 30 year old bipartisan ban on automatic weapons.
Almost all of bills I didn’t support don’t do anything to protect anyone because the laws proposed already exist in New Jersey or cannot be enforced due to lack of technology, such as a bill to require not-yet-invented “smart guns.” There is one recent bill pertaining to mental health and guns on which I abstained because mental health professionals, including the Mental Health Association of NJ, the NJ Association of Social Workers and the NJ Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association asked for substantive changes to the bill in order to protect patient confidentiality and to address HIPPA concerns, but they were ignored.
I am more than willing to listen to any thoughts on how to prevent evil acts like what happened in Las Vegas in the future. Both sides of the aisle feel strongly about protecting our families, our neighbors and our constituents. There isn’t disagreement on providing safety, it’s how best to provide it. We must address better mental health initiatives, common sense legislation for gun safety and we need to come together and have an honest dialogue about a critically important issue, not promote fear and slander for political gain.
Paramus NJ, the Bergen County Zoo has officially received its re-accreditation designation from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ independent Accreditation Commission. This is a major achievement could not have been possible if not for the hard work put in by the Zoo and the Bergen County Department of Parks staff. I stopped by the Zoo this week to congratulate the staff.
To be accredited, the Bergen County Zoo underwent a thorough review to make certain it has and will continue to meet ever-rising standards in categories which include animal care and welfare, veterinary programs, conservation, education, and safety. AZA requires zoos and aquariums to successfully complete this rigorous accreditation process every five years in order to be members of the Association.
Research reinforces interest expressed by families and girls nationwide as organization looks to offer programs that meet the needs of today’s families
Irving, Texas , Today, the Boy Scouts of America Board of Directors unanimously approved to welcome girls into its iconic Cub Scout program and to deliver a Scouting program for older girls that will enable them to advance and earn the highest rank of Eagle Scout. The historic decision comes after years of receiving requests from families and girls, the organization evaluated the results of numerous research efforts, gaining input from current members and leaders, as well as parents and girls who’ve never been involved in Scouting – to understand how to offer families an important additional choice in meeting the character development needs of all their children.
“This decision is true to the BSA’s mission and core values outlined in the Scout Oath and Law. The values of Scouting – trustworthy, loyal, helpful, kind, brave and reverent, for example – are important for both young men and women,” said Michael Surbaugh, the BSA’s Chief Scout Executive. “We believe it is critical to evolve how our programs meet the needs of families interested in positive and lifelong experiences for their children. We strive to bring what our organization does best – developing character and leadership for young people – to as many families and youth as possible as we help shape the next generation of leaders.”
Families today are busier and more diverse than ever. Most are dual-earners and there are more single-parent households than ever before [1], making convenient programs that serve the whole family more appealing. Additionally, many groups currently underserved by Scouting, including the Hispanic and Asian communities, prefer to participate in activities as a family. Recent surveys [2] of parents not involved with Scouting showed high interest in getting their daughters signed up for programs like Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, with 90 percent expressing interest in a program like Cub Scouts and 87 percent expressing interest in a program like Boy Scouts. Education experts also evaluated the curriculum and content and confirmed relevancy of the program for young women.
“The BSA’s record of producing leaders with high character and integrity is amazing” said Randall Stephenson, BSA’s national board chairman. “I’ve seen nothing that develops leadership skills and discipline like this organization. It is time to make these outstanding leadership development programs available to girls.”
Starting in the 2018 program year, families can choose to sign up their sons and daughters for Cub Scouts. Existing packs may choose to establish a new girl pack, establish a pack that consists of girl dens and boy dens or remain an all-boy pack. Cub Scout dens will be single-gender — all boys or all girls. Using the same curriculum as the Boy Scouts program, the organization will also deliver a program for older girls, which will be announced in 2018 and projected to be available in 2019, that will enable them to earn the Eagle Scout rank. This unique approach allows the organization to maintain the integrity of the single gender model while also meeting the needs of today’s families.
This decision expands the programs that the Boy Scouts of America offers for both boys and girls. Although known for its iconic programs for boys, the BSA has offered co-ed programs since 1971 through Exploring and the Venturing program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2018. The STEM Scout pilot program is also available for both boys and girls
![glen-bowman-sr[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/glen-bowman-sr1.jpg "Five defendants Plead Guilty of Human Trafficking and Prostitution Out of South Hackensack Motel")
![Carmen_Lombardi[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/10-12-17_Carmen_Lombardi1.jpg "UPGRADED CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH FATAL FORT LEE HIT AND RUN")
![Kenneth_Smith[1]](https://theridgewoodblog.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/10-13-17_Kenneth_Smith1.jpg "Bergen Prosecutor Announces Arrest of Fair Lawn Knights of Columbus Bomber")
