The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Trenton NJ, Acting Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin today announced that a grand jury has indicted a New Jersey park police officer who was charged with improperly spending about $160,000 in funds from two police unions he led, using the money for personal meals at upscale restaurants, airfare and out-of-state outings not related to union business.
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, Governor Phil Murphy signed Executive Order No. 124, establishing a process by which the Department of Corrections may grant temporary reprieve to certain at-risk inmates during the public health emergency. The Governor’s Executive Order creates the Emergency Medical Review Committee to make recommendations on which inmates should be placed on temporary home confinement through the Commissioner’s statutory furlough authority. All recommendations to place an individual on home confinement will be made after thorough review and consideration of the conditions that an individual may face in the community.“My Administration’s top priority is the health and safety of all nine million New Jerseyans, including those who are currently incarcerated,” said Governor Murphy. “The correctional setting presents unique challenges to social distancing, particularly for vulnerable populations. Allowing some of our most vulnerable individuals who do not pose a public safety threat to temporarily leave prison will protect both their health, and the health and safety of the men and women working in our correctional facilities. With this action, New Jersey will join several other states, and the federal government, in taking necessary steps to strike a balance between public health, public safety, and victims’ rights.”
Heather Darling, Heather is a layer from Morris County
Trenton NJ, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3, the Statute recently amended to further limit the capacity of gun magazines is being interpreted to include that law enforcement officers are not permitted to possess “large-capacity magazines” capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition to be fed continuously into semi-automatic firearms, unless while on duty or travelling to or from an authorized place of duty. The statute is applicable to all law enforcement officers, including those subject to on-call status.
The notion that this could possibly be designed to keep citizens safe is ludicrous. While an on-duty officer is considered capable of safely possessing and operating a gun with a so-called large capacity magazine, this statute proposes that, from the moment that an officer is off-duty, he or she is no longer able to safely possess and operate a firearm with a so-called large capacity magazine.
Additionally, where law abiding citizens have been ordered to turn in the so-called large capacity magazines, criminals with illegal guns will certainly not be turning in theirs.
New Jersey already prohibits carry permits for citizens in all but the most exceptional circumstances. This places the protection of our citizens squarely on the shoulders of law enforcement officers.
It is unlikely the legislature forgetting that police officers are often aided by off-duty law enforcement personnel until back-up can arrive and, at times, it is off-duty personnel initially addressing situations until on-duty officers arrive at the scene.
Now New Jersey is limiting the ability of law enforcement officers, normally having carry permits by virtue of their training, knowledge and having passed a rigorous background check, to protect our citizens. This act of limiting the capacity of magazines in the guns carried by off-duty law enforcement officers certainly seems to demonstrate that the amendment of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-3 is to further disarm citizens, including police, and remove their ability to protect themselves rather than to prevent mass casualty situations as those pushing this legislation would have us believe.
November 21,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
TRENTON NJ, Attorney Christopher S. Porrino announced that a retired police officer who formerly served as president and state delegate of New Jersey Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) Local 59 in Cape May was sentenced today for embezzling large sums from the union over a period of five years. The state’s investigation revealed that he stole approximately $105,000.
John Campbell, 49, of Cape May, a retired Cape May police officer, was sentenced to six months of home detention under the county’s alternatives to incarceration program, including electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet, and five years of probation by Superior Court Judge John Porto in Cape May County. He also was ordered to serve 300 hours of community service, pay a fine of $5,000 and provide full restitution to the union of $105,000, which was paid in full today. Campbell pleaded guilty on Aug. 10 to a charge of third-degree theft by unlawful taking. In pleading guilty, Campbell admitted that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from PBA Local 59 from 2012 through 2016, while serving as the state delegate for the union, by using the union’s checking account and a business American Express card to make unauthorized personal purchases, expenditures and withdrawals that were unrelated to union business.
Campbell was initially arrested on July 13 as a result of an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau and the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau. Deputy Attorney General Brian Uzdavinis prosecuted the case and handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Anthony Picione.
“Campbell was entrusted with access to the credit and checking accounts of his PBA local, but rather than living up to his duties as a police officer and leader of this union, he corruptly chose to embezzle over $100,000,” said Attorney General Porrino. “This was a crass betrayal by a man who took an oath to uphold the law.”
“We have zero tolerance for people who use their positions of trust to steal from the organizations and people they were appointed to serve,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We will continue to work closely with the New Jersey State Police to investigate and prosecute corruption aggressively.”
“Campbell made the decision to betray the trust of not only his fellow law enforcement officers but also the community which should have benefited from the funds he absconded with,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan, Acting Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “The consequences of his actions should serve as reminder that no one should consider themselves above the law.”
While serving as the local PBA’s state delegate from 2012 through 2016, Campbell used credit and debit cards issued to him by the union, and paid for with union funds, for a variety of unauthorized personal expenses unrelated to union business, ranging from modest purchases at convenience stores and gas stations to more exorbitant purchases involving time shares and home improvements.
Campbell’s thefts came to light after a change in leadership of PBA Local 59 in July 2016, when an audit was conducted and suspicious credit and debit card charges were discovered. The information was referred to the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office, which in turn referred the case to the Division of Criminal Justice and New Jersey State Police.
The investigation revealed that Campbell made more than $70,000 in unauthorized personal expenditures through the American Express account alone, including, for example:
over $30,000 for time shares in Florida, the Caribbean and Mexico;
over $16,000 for utilities and services, including gas, electric, telephone and TV services;
over $5,000 for clothing and jewelry purchases;
over $7,500 for purchases of electronics, furniture and cabinets;
approximately $5,000 on various convenience store and gas station purchases; and
a $500 designer Christmas tree.
He used the PBA debit card to make additional personal purchases and obtained approximately $9,700 for his personal use through debit and ATM withdrawals, as well as unauthorized checks.
Attorney General Porrino commended all of the members of the New Jersey State Police Official Corruption Bureau and Division of Criminal Justice Corruption Bureau who worked on the investigation.
As a result of the investigation, additional alleged thefts were discovered that led to a charge against a second official of PBA Local 59, former treasurer Kyle Grossman, 39, of Lower Township, N.J. Grossman, who also was a Cape May police officer, was charged by accusation on Oct. 12 with third-degree theft by unlawful taking for allegedly stealing approximately $5,000 in union funds for his personal use. He waived indictment on that date, agreed to pay $5,000 in restitution, and forfeited his job as a police officer. He was admitted by Judge Porto into the Pre-Trial Intervention program. The charge against him will be dismissed if he successfully completes the program. Grossman agreed to enter a consent order under which he will be permanently barred from public employment.
Attorney General Porrino and Director Honig noted that the Division of Criminal Justice has established a toll-free Corruption Tipline 1-866-TIPS-4CJ for the public to confidentially report corruption, financial crime and other illegal activities. The public also can log on to the Division’s web page at www.njdcj.org to report suspected wrongdoing confidentially.
file photo by Boyd Loving
By S.P. Sullivan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
on April 14, 2017 at 10:23 AM, updated April 14, 2017 at 4:51 PM
TRENTON — The New Jersey State Police does not have to reimburse state troopers for toll fares during their commute to and from work, an appeals court has ruled in a dispute between the state and the troopers’ union.
The two-judge panel found on Thursday that an arbitrator was mistaken in declaring the practice “an established term and condition of employment.”
For years, the operators of the state’s major toll roads, the New Jersey
Turnpike Authority and the South Jersey Transportation Authority, allowed troopers and other state employees to pass through their toll booths in personal vehicles free of charge.
But in 2010, Gov. Chris Christie called for an end to free rides for non-emergency vehicles. Soon after, a report from the state comptroller also flagged the practice in a report identifying $43 million in waste within the Turnpike Authority.
70% more cops per capita than any other state, making 50% more than the average cop in the US according to FBI data, why?
Many of those cops are in our suburbs manning speed traps to help pay for the cost of so many cops. So it’s a vicious circle – we’re actually paying people to drive up our auto insurance premiums just so they can justify their job.
Cut the police force by 50% by not replacing retiring cops, and put them on bronze level health benefits and 401(k) style defined contribution pension plans.
Then perhaps NJ goes up the rankings, our auto insurance premiums and taxes go down, and maybe we can afford some new investments in bridges, roads, tunnels and our schools instead of overpaying for public safety and public sector pensioners?
February 18, 2016 11:35 PM By Carey Codd
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Members of the Miami Fraternal Order of Police are calling for all law enforcement officers to boycott Beyoncé’s concert in Miami later this year.
Thursday morning, the president of the group – Javier Ortiz – mailed out a letter saying the group had voted “to have all law enforcement officers boycott Beyoncé’s concert” at Miami Marlins Stadium on April 27th.
The vote was over officers choosing not work the Beyoncé concert. The vote not to work it was unanimous.
“Officers that work these extra duties. They’re called extra duties for a reason. It’s because they’re voluntary and I simply will not sign up and many of the officers that I’ve spoken to said that they’re not going to sign up,” said Ortiz who spoke exclusively with CBS4’s Gary Nelson.
Ortiz says the group believes Beyoncé used the Super Bowl to “divide Americans by promoting Black Panthers and her anti-police message.”
“The message she gave was a very clear message to law enforcement,” said Ortiz. “She has made anti-police message when she put together that 50th anniversary salute, so to speak, about the Black Panthers during the Super Bowl and my members are extremely upset about that.”
https://miami.cbslocal.com/2016/02/18/fop-calls-for-boycott-of-beyonce-concert/
After an event that drew the likes of Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, gubernatorial hopeful Phil Murphy and state Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-36), members of the Bergen PBA descended on the streets of Bergen County to make a final plea to voters to get out there and vote for Democrats. Alyana Alfaro, PolitickerNJ Read more
AUGUST 10, 2015, 5:16 PM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2015, 7:40 AM
BY PETER J. SAMPSON
STAFF WRITER |
THE RECORD
A Glen Rock police detective charged with sending sexually explicit text messages to two teenage girls he was supervising as the borough’s juvenile officer, and exchanging nude photos with one of them, on Monday moved a step closer to being released on bail with an electronic ankle bracelet.
During a hearing in Hackensack, Superior Court Judge Susan Steele heard testimony from Jacqueline Gill, a mental health technician who conducts suicide risk assessments on inmates coming into the Bergen County Jail. The judge also heard from Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Daniel Marro, who discussed the county’s enhanced bail program with electronic monitoring.
Gill testified that Sgt. Eric Reamy was placed on suicide watch by a nurse when he entered the jail last week, based solely on “standard protocol,” due to the sexual nature of the charges and his high bail, which was set at $250,000.
It was a fenced in yard and the policeman was a stranger. He had a choice: run. Get the hell out of the yard. Or would that be too detrimental to the tough guy image?
Are you saying that people should not allow their dogs to roam their fenced in yards now? The dogs should be confined to the house? Is there a particular room inside the house where the dog should be sequestered?
Your fantasy about the cop saving a child from a fierce beast holds no water. If the kid was from the neighborhood, the dog would have known him. If there was a trespasser in the yard, then good.
I only hope, officer Elwood, that when you find a group of kids smoking a joint behind starbucks some night, and they all scatter, you realize that you do have a choice other than to shoot the slower ones.
Christie signs arbitration cap on raises for police, firefighter unions
JUNE 24, 2014, 9:56 AM LAST UPDATED: TUESDAY, JUNE 24, 2014, 5:16 PM
BY MICHAEL LINHORST
STATE HO– USE BUREAU
THE RECORD
A cap on raises police and firefighter unions can get in certain contract disputes is now law – again.
The 2-percent limit on raises first became law in 2010 as part of the state’s effort to limit the growth of property taxes. The law expired this year at the end of March.
After weeks of negotiation, a bipartisan bill extending the cap emerged earlier this month. Governor Christie signed it at a ceremony outside the State House today, surrounded by top Democratic and Republican legislative leaders.
“The arbitration cap has worked,” Christie said, citing a slower growth in property taxes in recent years.
“We’re continuing what we started and renewing the bipartisan arbitration cap, which is going to continue to rein in the cost of government and stem the property tax crisis on behalf of New Jersey’s overburdened taxpayers,” said Christie, a Republican.
The cap prevents police or fire unions that settle contract disputes in interest arbitration from winning raises of more than 2 percent. The new law extends that cap until the end of 2017.
The bill passed unanimously in the Assembly and Senate earlier this month
– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/christie-signs-arbitration-cap-on-raises-for-police-firefighter-unions-1.1040420#sthash.hOvgLq8w.dpuf
