May 2013 - NJ Blue Now

Transcription

NJ LUENOW
Volume 4 ~ Issue 4
May 2013
New Jersey’s Independent Voice of Law Enforcement
www.njbluenow.com
Remembrance
Officer George
Gerard Howard
Scan to Subscribe
Interview with
Somerset County
Sheriff Frank Provenzano
President Alex Cruz
Paterson PBA Local #1
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NJ LUENOW
™
Team
contents
26
32
CEO & Publisher
Daniel Del Valle
Editor-in-Chief
Daniel Del Valle
Managing Editor
Donna Roman-Hernandez
40
Design Editor
Dari Izhaky
Copy Editor
Nicole C. Richardson
Advertising Director
John Welsh
writers
Matthew A. Peluso, Esq.
Brian Dawe
Captain Donna Roman Hernandez (ret.)
Lt. Joseph Pangaro
P.O. Jay Martinez
SCO E. Molina, AWCF
Rudy Socha
Dan Lorenzo
Cover Photo:
Donna Roman-Hernandez
Editor’s Message
training
6 Daniel Del Valle
28 The Plague of Bullying
legal
remembrance
8Cops Investigating Cops: The
Need For Fair And Objective
Internal Affairs Investigations
corrections
g
Comin
Soon
CT lueNow
Premiere issue
September 2013
WEBSITE/SUBSCRIPTIONS
www.njbluenow.com
10 Medal of Honor Awards
Ceremony
Cover Story
12 President Alex Cruz
Paterson PBA Local #1
interview
EMAIL
[email protected]
18 Somerset County Sheriff Frank
Provenzano
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5
editor’s message
Even though the two days of terrorist acts in Boston are over, many questions now arise, and somehow these two brothers
have reminded Americans of those who continue to terrorize our nation. It’s obvious today that our country is no longer
a place where you can raise a family without thinking that any day you or your family could fall victim to these types of
heinous acts. Everyday experiences like enjoying a beautiful day in the park, walking at the mall, or even going to Sunday
mass could end up turning into a human catastrophe. Law enforcement or not, this type of psychological torment takes a
toll in everyone’s life, even if, God willing, a tragedy never occurs. Terrorists are no longer just from other countries holding
certain beliefs. Now these cowards can become naturalized Americans, and at one point could have been good citizens. As
we saw in Newton, Connecticut, another coward murdered helpless kids, and his motives had nothing to do with having
religious beliefs. We can also say the Boston bombing cowards at some point collaborated or influenced one another to commit this crime.
This leads to the question during times like these: “Shouldn’t law enforcement departments and agencies be adequately manned?” Citizens
need to understand that with more officers on the streets monitoring video cameras and performing thorough investigations could drastically
deter incidents like Connecticut or Boston from occurring. Whether it takes having more law enforcement presence in schools and at big
gatherings, a surplus of officers is better than not having enough. So why would we do the opposite? Here in New Jersey, law enforcement
is being dismantled rather than augmented. If our state cuts the budget for staffing law enforcement departments and agencies, it is
dismantling them, but at what cost? I know we have huge casinos here in New Jersey where adults can legally gamble, but are we now taking
a gamble in the streets of our state hoping and praying terroristic acts don’t occur here? Obviously, we are at stake when there are fewer
officers on the streets, when you give less funding for much needed equipment and training, and when you make the job less appealing for
quality individuals seeking employment in our profession.
It’s time to become proactive in our communities and in our profession. We can all do more, but citizens and politicians must give a fair
chance to this profession, one that in recent years has taken the brunt of budget cuts. We all love our families, our communities, our country
and state; however, solutions are desperately needed to build our departments back up—our lives and our state’s stability depend on it. We
are one terroristic tragedy away from realizing that these acts of terrorism will not stop until we make them stop.
I do not want to take anything away from all the law enforcement officers and agencies that did a phenomenal job with the investigation
and apprehension of the criminals responsible for the Boston Marathon bombings. We can all agree each one of them deserves a big ‘thank
you’ from everyone in this country. Their keen ability to gather all the intelligence and professionalism to work together in order to stop
future threats, not only sets an example for all law enforcement officers on how to get the job done under an extreme amount of pressure
and chaos, but also sends a clear message to criminals and terrorists that you will be caught no matter what if you decide to commit those
selfish acts in our country. This sums it all up about our law enforcement officers that no matter where you work, or what personal or
professional crisis is going on, the job will always get done. This is professionalism at its finest, you, who represent blue!
On the cover, we have two men who lead with drive and passion. First, I interviewed Somerset County Sheriff Provenzano who shares his law
enforcement experience and insight with us all. His sincerity and his commitment to his officers and to his county are admirable traits. Also,
we have proud Paterson Police Union President Alex Cruz, who tells it like it is, and is on a mission to bring the city of Paterson back. Cruz
has many obstacles to overcome like drastic cuts to his staffing and a rise in crimes in Paterson. I am honored and thankful to both of these
men for sharing their time and wisdom with all of us.
On a final note, my condolences go out to all the victims who died due to these senseless animals in Boston. There is no excuse to ever take
the lives of innocent children and law enforcement officers. Our prayers and thoughts will always be with the victims and all those who were
injured during their reign of terror. Rest in peace Martin Richard, 8 yrs. old; Lu Lingzi, 23 yrs. old; Krystle Campbell, 29 yrs. old; and MIT Police
Officer Sean Collier, age 26.
this issue is sponsored by
BUY AMERICAN
Daniel Del Valle
Editor and Correction Officer
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COPS INVESTIGATING COPS:
THE NEED FOR FAIR AND OBJECTIVE
Internal Affairs INVESTIGATIONS
By Matthew A. Peluso, Esquire
A
s evidenced by the recent and well-publicized scandals
involving the Edison and Irvington police departments,
internal affairs investigations are often improperly used
as a means of intimidation, harassment and retaliation by law
enforcement officers against fellow officers, and sometimes, even
against private citizens. Since serious and permanent career and
legal consequences can result for the targets of IA investigations,
the legislature and courts of this state have established and
enforced specific guidelines governing the scope and conduct of
such investigations.
The Office of the Attorney General for the State of New Jersey
(“OAG”), through its Division of Criminal Justice, Police Services
Section, first issued its “Internal Affairs Policies and Procedures”
(“AG Guidelines”) back in 1991, and then updated them in 1992,
2000, and most recently, in 2011. The purpose of the AG Guidelines
is to establish the procedures for investigating officer misconduct
and for determining whether criminal or disciplinary action against
a law enforcement officer is required. The goals of the AG Guidelines
are “to enhance the integrity of law enforcement agencies in the
State, improve the delivery of police services and assure the citizens
of New Jersey that complaints of police misconduct are properly
addressed.”
Since initial creation of the policies, the OAG has acknowledged
that the process of internal affairs has come under increasing
scrutiny by the courts, the community and the media. Federal courts
have particularly focused on the importance of the internal affairs
function and have come to perceive it as a means of “protecting the
constitutional rights and civil liberties of the citizens of this State.”
As a result, the OAG has concluded that “the proper administration
of the internal affairs function by the State’s law enforcement
agencies is a critical issue for the criminal justice system in New
Jersey today.”
County and municipal law enforcement agencies conduct IA
investigations under the general supervision of the OAG. Thus, for
such local agencies, cooperation “in internal affairs matters begins
with strict adherence to the requirements” established by the OAG.
“This is particularly true when the agency is gathering evidence
concerning allegations of criminal conduct.” When criminal
charges against a targeted officer may result, the local IA unit acts
under the direct supervision of the relevant county prosecutor.
In such cases, the local IA unit must confer with, and follow the
instructions of, the county prosecutor at all critical points in the
investigation process. As warned by the OAG, “law enforcement
agencies that fail to implement a meaningful and objective internal
affairs process may be found liable in civil lawsuits for their failure
to effectively address officer misconduct.”
The AG Guidelines provide detailed provisions for the internal
affairs process that should be implemented by local units, including
the conduct required of investigating officers and the appropriate
procedures to be used during the investigation. The AG Guidelines
also provide recommendations for the training and instruction of
8
law enforcement officers to prevent misconduct before it occurs.
Further, the guidelines mandate protection of the substantive
and procedural due process rights of targeted officers, such as the
requirements that written notice of an investigation be provided to
the subject officer and notification of the right to counsel be given
in complaints involving serious charges against the targeted officer.
The AG Guidelines mandate that the internal affairs investigator
conduct a thorough and objective investigation without violating
the rights of the subject officer or any other law enforcement
officer. Pursuant to the guidelines, the sole responsibility of the
investigator is to gather all of the facts regarding the allegations
and to be objective and thorough when submitting the report.
To ensure maximum fairness, the AG Guidelines prohibit the
IA investigator from interjecting his or her personal opinions,
conclusions or personality into the case.
In 1996, the New Jersey State Legislature adopted the AG Guidelines
as controlling New Jersey law when it enacted N.J.S.A. 40A:14-181,
which requires that: “Every law enforcement agency shall adopt
and implement guidelines which shall be consistent with the
guidelines governing the “Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures”
of the Police Management Manual promulgated by the Police
Bureau of the Division of Criminal Justice in the Department of
Law and Public Safety, and shall be consistent with any tenure or
civil service laws, and shall not supersede any existing contractual
agreements.”
Many state and local law enforcement agencies have simply
adopted, in toto, the AG Guidelines as their own controlling IA
policies and procedures. However, law enforcement agencies that
choose to create their own policies still have to ensure that all
of the important provisions and protections afforded to officers
under the AG Guidelines are not distorted or omitted, since such
drafting errors could undermine the integrity of IA investigations
conducted by that particular department and potentially violate
the due process rights of targeted officers.
As one New Jersey court has concluded: “A fair and objective
investigation of the allegations is an essential part of the disciplinary
process envisioned by the Attorney General’s Guidelines.” O’Rourke
v. City of Lambertville, 405 N.J.Super. 8, 19-22 (App. Div. 2008).
When “a law enforcement agency adopts rules pursuant to N.J.S.A.
40A:14-181 to implement the Attorney General’s Guidelines, the
agency has an obligation to comply with those rules,” and, when it
fails to do so, such deficiencies taint the disciplinary process and it
“cannot stand.” Id. “An agency representative’s failure to comply
with the Guidelines may necessitate that an employee be reinstated
even when the employee engaged in conduct unbecoming a public
employee.” Id.
As many law enforcement officers are unfortunately aware,
adoption of the AG Guidelines by their department means nothing
if adherence to the guiding principles and protections embodied
in those policies is ignored by the investigating IA officer and/or
Chief, when a final decision on discipline is made. The Edison and
Irvington incidents show how internal affairs’ investigations, even
in larger police departments, often fail to comply with the AG
Guidelines and/or the department’s own facially valid IA policies.
An increasingly disturbing trend is the use of internal affairs
investigations as the means to justify termination of one officer so
that another officer can move up in rank. As the result of the severe
budget constraints imposed on many State agencies, counties and
local municipalities, there have been numerous forced reductions
and hiring “freezes” in place over the last several years. Because
of the entrenched national and state economic recessions, and the
significant financial burdens placed on families as a result thereof,
higher ranking law enforcement officers who might otherwise
have retired are now remaining in their senior positions. This, in
turn, creates a “log-jam” on promotions and a resulting loss of
greater income for lower ranking officers, which only serves to
encourage improper use of the IA function as a means to force
openings in higher ranks.
As an attorney, I have represented law enforcement officers
subjected to patently flawed and biased IA investigations that
were solely intended to artificially create a job opening through
trumped-up disciplinary charges so that another officer, either
hostile to the targeted officer or personally aligned with the Chief,
could move up in rank. This abuse of the IA function also wrongfully
encourages complete termination of the targeted officer, even in
cases where such extreme discipline is clearly not justified.
In creating the AG Guidelines, the OAG understood that abuse of
the IA function could diminish morale in police departments when
the focus is solely on punishment, rather than on remediation and
improvement by the subject officer. “Too frequently rules of conduct
and disciplinary procedures are used as an end in themselves, and
their purpose in reaching department goals is forgotten.”
For example, although they are held to a higher standard of
responsibility and conduct than other public employees, the concept
of “progressive discipline” has long been utilized when determining
appropriate penalties for the misconduct of law enforcement
officers. The determination of the appropriate sanction for a
disciplinary infraction by a police officer should not be evaluated
in a vacuum. Under “progressive discipline,” an officer’s past
record, including any history of promotions or commendations, as
well as the lack of any prior serious disciplinary actions, should be
considered when deciding the appropriate penalty for the current
specific offense. Thus, an officer’s past record can, and should, be
used to mitigate the penalty for a present offense.
Law enforcement officers now perform their difficult and
dangerous jobs under close and heightened scrutiny by the public
and media. With budget constraints and the resulting reduction
of manpower, their jobs have become significantly more difficult
over the last several years. Given this current environment, it is
important that the IA units of law enforcement agencies function
fairly and objectively. If the internal affairs function is allowed to
degenerate solely into a process for cop-on-cop harassment and
abuse, both the law enforcement community and the citizenry of
this State will lose an important safeguard in the protection of all
our legal rights.
Matthew A. Peluso, Esq. is an attorney based in Princeton. He has
20 years of experience in numerous types of complex litigation,
including criminal, employment, insurance and business law. Mr.
Peluso has successfully represented police officers in employment
and contract disputes involving wrongful termination, failure
to promote, race, gender and age discrimination, hostile work
environment and whistle-blower actions. Mr. Peluso is a graduate
of the University of Miami School of Law and George Washington
University. He can be reached at: 609-306-2595.
His e-mail address is: [email protected]. His
experience can be reviewed on Linkedin and on
his website: http://mpelusoesq.webs.com. The
opinions expressed by Mr. Peluso in his article are
not intended to provide legal advice. Anyone
interested should consult a qualified attorney
prior to making any significant employment or
legal decision.
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9
CORRECTIONS
E
very year over 40,000 correctional
officers are assaulted. We deal with
an AIDS/HIV rate three times higher
than the general public, our profession has a
suicide rate 39 percent higher than any other
occupation, and a PTSD rate nearly ten times
the rate of the citizens we protect. Most of
you reading this are in our profession, yet less
than 10 percent of us know these statistics.
How many officers were assaulted at your
facility last year? How many of those inmates
were prosecuted, what were the result? What
is your staffing ratio? How many inmates
in your facility are classified as mentally ill?
What’s the rate of tuberculosis or hepatitis at
your facility?
Very few of us can recite
these numbers. If we are not
educated about the perils of
being a correctional officer,
we cannot expect anyone
else to be. We cannot expect change until we educate ourselves and educate
the public and our elected
officials about our lives behind the walls. Perception if
unchecked becomes reality.
Consider staffing ratios; nationally our ratios are reported as 5.4:1, we all know that’s
a dangerous misrepresentation. That number is derived
without any consideration
given for time off, it is fiction
masquerading as fact as is so
often the case in corrections.
Only this fiction threatens
our very safety when such
misleading data leads to cuts
in staffing and training. This
is one example of dozens. It
all comes back to education;
we cannot blame our elected
officials for not knowing
facts we ourselves do not
know. That’s where ACO and
ACOIN come in.
The American Correctional
Officer (ACO) and the ACO
Intelligence Network (ACOIN) are dedicated to the men
and women who work behind the walls. We are those
very men and women hailing
from across the nation. We
know better than anyone
that 95 percent of what we
do is with our heads and not
our hands. Contrary to public perception, the media
and Hollywood’s portrayal,
we are not Neanderthals
beating the inmates at every
opportunity. Common sense
mandates that outnumbered
forty, fifty or sixty to one we
wouldn’t live long if we did.
If 95 percent of what we do
is with our heads then the
greatest thing we can provide to help make our jobs
10
a little safer is Intel. That’s what ACO and
ACOIN are about: providing intelligence,
support and a national voice for our profession. It’s our goal to help discover and share
best practices, striving to make each tour of
duty a little safer. It’s time we become a proactive workforce rather than a reactive one.
ACO has intelligence officers working in
juvenile, local, county, state and federal
facilities all across America. At ACO’s 2012
Medal of Honor conference over 200 officers
attended from more than two dozen states
having over 3,000 years in corrections and
five million hours on the blocks. There is no
greater think tank for our profession, there
is no louder voice, nor a more determined
advocate. Check us out at www.COINtel.net.
If your organization is not a member of ACO,
ask them to join today, and if you are not yet
a member of ACOIN, what are you waiting
for? Ask yourself: “What have I done to move
my profession forward?” One of the best
things you can do is to join with thousands
of officers who are uniting to address our
universal concerns. There is no correctional
fairy out there going to make this job any
better. It’s up to us and that includes you. We
will continue our mission to make it safer for
all of us behind the walls. The only question is:
Will you join us? Be safe in there, stay vertical!
Brian Dawe, Executive Director
ACO/ACOIN, [email protected]
2012 Medal of Honor Recipients
2013
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cover story
President Alex Cruz
Paterson PBA
Local #1
By Daniel Del Valle
Becoming a Police Officer
P
aterson PBA President Alex Cruz feels
pride wearing his uniform and working
in the community where he was born
and raised. Cruz sat down with NJ Blue Now
and candidly talks about his presidency, PBA
Local #1 and its unique flag, pension reform,
the 2013 changes and challenges the Paterson
Police Department faces with drastic cuts,
police layoffs, politics and their impact on his
beloved community, and how he is haunted by
the memories of an infant’s tragic death. Cruz
includes an emotional personal message about
the men and women in public safety that he
hopes Governor Christie will read.
12
In 1994, Alex Cruz became a police officer with the Paterson Police
Department. Leaving behind a lucrative paying opportunity, he was
working as a project manager for nuclear remediation company
that had a ten year contract with the Army Corps of Engineers for
a project in Denver, Colorado. Cruz said, “As far as becoming a
police officer, that’s a weird story, at no time did I ever think I was
going to become a police officer. Things were changing at my job,
and I knew something was wrong, so I filled out an application to
become a police officer and the next thing I knew, I’m taking the
police exam. I passed the entrance exam and later received a call
from the Paterson Police Department asking if I was still interested
in the job. It was a big risk for me because I was making over
$80,000.00 a year and taking the job with the city was going to be
a $60,000.00 a year pay cut. I decided to take the risk and was up
for a challenge, so on August 1, 1994, I started the police academy
to become a Paterson police officer.”
Life on the Job
Cruz knows that police work is dangerous and that the law
enforcement profession makes it difficult to balance work and
family life. However, he is proud to be an officer working in the
community. “There’s no better pride than to wear your uniform
and work in the community that you were born and raised in,”
Cruz said. “Whether you’re in Paterson, or South Jersey, you should
wear your uniform with pride no matter what municipality you
work for. The best for me was going through the neighborhood
where I was born and raised in and having my friends say ‘Cruz
what are you doing in that uniform,’ knowing that if I became a
police officer, anybody can make it. It’s just the determination to
succeed and putting your mind into it, and I did. The rest is history.
“There is no better pride in helping the community and that’s what
we’re here for.”
When Tragedy Strikes
As an officer, there is no way to predict what your day will encounter
as situations that require emergency responses happen daily. After
years of working in Paterson, Cruz still remembers a gruesome
account involving a fourteen year-old girl and her newborn baby.
Cruz recounts, “It was January 1st of 2000, and everyone was
talking about the millennium with the time going backwards; the
computers were going to crash. I remember working with Officer’s
Ralph Gonzales and Kenan Tuncel. We were with a couple of other
officers, and we were dispatched to East 22nd Street and Park
Avenue. We noticed an elderly couple by the railroad tracks, and
they were pointing down the tracks. As we were getting closer, one
of our guys said, ‘It looks like a baby doll on the tracks but as we
got closer, I heard a baby whimpering, lying across the iron tracks
with the umbilical cord attached and covered in blood.” Cruz and
his partner had to move fast if they wanted to save this newborn’s
life. Our former Police Chief Lawrence Spagnola got on the radio
and informed us to immediately transport the baby to the hospital
in our patrol unit and not wait around for the ambulance. Alex said
that they wrapped the baby up in his police jacket and the officers
ran down the tracks towards their police unit. The officers then
immediately began transporting the baby to the hospital. “The
baby stopped breathing,” Cruz says, “I had to give the baby chest
compressions and mouth to nose [resuscitation] but when we got
to the hospital, it was a tragedy as the baby had suffered several
fractures which included broken ribs and died.”
The Health of an Officer
Cruz admits that he was haunted by the memory of that baby’s
death. “For over four months, I would wake up in the middle of the
night searching my house for that baby. At that time, I had my sixyear-old daughter and a newborn. It was crazy how I kept hearing
that baby crying. That’s just one of the things that law enforcement
officers go through, we go through a lot and sometimes the public
doesn’t see that side of the job. Certain incidents stay with that
officer and can affect the officer’s health. For that reason 14 to 19
percent of officers suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, and
they don’t even know they have it. Law enforcement officers are
400 percent likelier to commit suicide than any other profession.
And the sad thing is that the life expectancy of a police officer after
retirement is five to seven years due to all the stress and health
issues officers face during their careers.”
Changes in Law Enforcement
A seasoned police veteran, Cruz knows all too well how crime
impacts everyone in the community and how his police department’s
staffing level has decreased over the years. “There have been a
lot of changes in Paterson throughout my career; we had a large
community policing division which had a major impact on the crime
in the community. We had help and worked with the neighborhood
to get rid of the drug dealers on the corner. We had a number of
officers on foot patrol in community policing. We had the watch
squad, which played a big integral part in curbing the entire street
of drug trafficking. I also think that drug dealing was a little more
hidden, but now with an increase in crime in many parts of the
United States, and the loss of a large number of our officers, it’s
almost like they’re laughing at us. Years ago, I noticed changes in
law enforcement, but back then we had a full complement of police
officers and you saw that things were changing for the better. That
was 17 years ago before police departments began to suffer drastic
cuts in their police forces because of budgetary reasons. In April
2011, the police department was fully staffed with 502 officers, and
later that month 125 officers were laid off along with 34 supervisory
demotions. It’s amazing; you work so many years to make things
better, and the next thing you know you’re well understaffed. All
the hard work you put into cleaning up the streets now seems to be
slipping away. Even though the Paterson Police Department is now
working with less, we are more determined to work harder than
ever. Still, with less manpower and resources, it limits the overall
effectiveness of our job. One of the best statements that I recall
hearing when the layoffs began was when a local politician stated
that a loss of 25 percent of the department wouldn’t result in a
higher crime rate; man he was wrong.”
Challenges
Now in 2013, police are faced with new challenges. These obstacles
do not only affect police departments in Paterson, but other cities
and states as well. With police departments being downsized,
there are not enough officers to protect the city. The shortage
resulted in Paterson having 144 officers less than they did three
years ago, which is almost a 29 percent decrease in patrolmen. “It’s
frustrating,” admits Cruz, “because officers are being bounced
around from assignment to assignment. The department used to be
proactive, but now is reactive due to the declining rate of officers.
We are out there pushing, and we’re not going to stop, but it’s
very tough. Our officers come in to work every day knowing how
understaffed they are, but they know the job that has to be done.
We take pride in our job and hopefully things will get better.”
Politics and the Police Department
“Before politicians can make bold statements regarding crime
rates, I urge the city council, the mayor, and any other politician to
ride around the city at 9:00 at night to see what is happening in the
town before making drastic cuts. These cuts jeopardize the safety
of every tax paying resident who is demanding these services. How
can politicians respond when they are increasing taxes but giving
fewer services?
Is it okay to let criminals take over the streets? The problem with
politicians is that they sit behind the desk. Law enforcement is
always an investment and everybody deserves to have safe streets
in their neighborhood. The main issue in Paterson right now is
the crime rate. I get sick and tired everyday seeing shootings after
shootings. How many innocent victims should we have with people
going to work and being victimized because there are inadequate
services being provided to them?”
Impact on the Community
Unfortunately, layoffs are a sign of a sinking economy impacting
not only the corporate world by the law enforcement profession.
“The most common side effect of layoffs for police officers is the
fact that it will impact the community greatly. Most times, residents
complain that they’ve been waiting for several hours not realizing
that police response times to situations are being prioritized
by order of importance. The dispatcher, who receives the calls,
decides which emergency call takes precedence. The 911 calls are
dispatched to every single officer available heading to the crime
13
cover story
scene. The officer usually responds within less than 5 minutes of
them receiving that call from dispatch. So in the case of a burglary
or domestic violence dispute, the burglary will have to be pushed
to the side resulting in longer response times compared with the
crimes being committed at that time.”
Residents Call to Action
If residents want safe streets and more law enforcement protection,
Cruz challenges citizens to write or call the local assemblymen,
congressmen, and council members to make a change.
the incident. Whether these edited mini-clips accurately reports the
interaction between the officer and the civilian remains debatable,
however, officers are being scrutinized with the use of modern
technology. “Let them not show the entire clip,” Cruz says “If you
have to go hands on, let them criticize you for doing your job with
their five second clip. Obviously, they’ll start recording their video
when police are hands on. Officers can’t let all this technology
stop them from doing their jobs. We go through a lot of training
and make split-second decisions, but you cannot let that slight
hesitation enter your mind because someone is videotaping you.
Hopefully, they will be videotaping police for doing their job.”
“If you don’t make that phone call to your local politician, they
are not going to listen to you. Don’t assume that someone else is Paterson’s Youth
going to make that phone call for you. Don’t assume that someone Cruz can identify with being a teen back when he was living on Oak
else is going to go to the city council and bring up those questions. and Beech Street in Paterson hanging out with friends. However,
We all have to get involved…the days of being on the sidelines, he knew that hanging out with people who were bad influences
those days are gone.” Cruz warns, “They will tell you everything resulted in consequences and a loss of everything. Today, things
you want to hear to appease you temporarily, so you can give them have changed.
that much needed vote. Some of them should have been actors
because they see the cameras turned on during meetings, and they “Besides the crime rate being an issue in the city, the youth are
try to portray through to the community
also stirring up problems within the
in a way to benefit them politically. You
town. The young adults are increasingly
should demand what you need for your
losing respect for their families, law
“When
an
officer
safety, quality of life and your community.
enforcement, the law, and lacking pride
It’s important for residents to be aware
and realize that adequate services are not
being provided to them. Politicians will
come out to an event and take pictures,
and while the event is going on, they are
out the door. They make sure that they
get acknowledged in these events, so they
can get your vote.
feels that he or she is
being indiscriminately
harassed because of
a political agenda or
someone’s ulterior
motive, officers should
not take matters lying
down, not in this local or
any other organization.”
in oneself. Many citizens wonder what
the cause to this developing problem
came from and wonder if there will ever
be a solution.
Many of our kids are being raised by
single parents, grandparents, or have no
one to look up to. They need a mentor,
and many parents today lack being
involved. Our youth’s parents must get
involved and make the time to be there
for the kids. Many of us are always
sacrificing to provide, but you have to sit
down and talk to them too; maybe that’s
all they need.
Politicians try to use the police department
as an escape-goat all the time, trying to
portray us as the greedy people, or as the
“bad guys.” I don’t want the politicians to
make a mockery of the men and women
of the police department that come out
Pba President Alex Cruz
here every single day to protect the city
Cruz offers the metaphor to juveniles to
with the resources that they have right
look at life as a staircase. “Every single
now to benefit them politically. What
step represents a time in your life that you go through. You can
makes a productive politician is someone who looks for solutions be a teenager, but it doesn’t mean you have to be involved in
to problems and gets results. They let their actions speak, and make crime. Mistakes are made to learn from, but continue to go up that
sure their colleagues are on board to making the city a lot better.” staircase. Don’t get stuck half way up the staircase by being a 16
Technology, Social Media, and the Law
Cruz knows that the use of technology and social media has become
a growing concern for law enforcement particularly in moments of
physical contact with civilians. Cruz said, “Nowadays, with the snap
of a picture on a BlackBerry, or the touch of the record button on
an IPhone, cell phones are making it very easy to transmit images
or videos of things believed to be suspicious police misconduct,
which are then placed in the social media websites like Facebook
and Twitter. In Paterson, the IPhones and BlackBerrys are not the
only technology being that the city has a large number of cameras
throughout the city. We have cameras that have solved crimes, but
we have officers who are dedicated to looking at those cameras
and other areas that we call hotspots. Those officers are assigned
to watch the cameras during their shift looking for suspicious
behaviors. The issues arise when a picture or short video is put on
social media websites and a law enforcement officer is accused of
misconduct, but the clip was edited or only showed a small part of
14
year-old in a 27 year-old body, hanging out on the corner.”
Paterson has a very successful youth organization, the PAL program,
which works hard to change the lives of inner-city kids. Cruz
recommends when people make the time to invest in our children,
the outcome is worth it.
Paterson PBA Presidency
Seeing a need for change in the City of Paterson and the police
department, Cruz ran and was elected as the PBA President of the
Paterson Police Department on June 26, 2011. Cruz shared why
he wanted to be the PBA President: “Once again going back to
the layoffs, two months prior to office, I knew we had some big
challenges. I knew I was willing to take any challenges to help our
community and help our police officers basically get back on their
feet. The previous president, Steven Olimpio, did a phenomenal
job, and I have a great deal of respect and a relationship with him.
The men and women of PBA Local 1 were proud of his tenure,
but I knew there was time for a change and that we needed some
new blood. I knew that I had something that I could offer our
membership that was long overdue--addressing their concerns and
what they needed.
My biggest issue today is the lack of manpower in our department.
We currently have 358 officers, which is 144 officers less than what
we had just three years ago. It’s a little frustrating when you have
officers bouncing from assignment to assignment and at times they
can’t stop to take a breather. Our department has been transformed
from a proactive one to a reactive one.”
The History of the PBA & Its Flag
The Police Benevolent Association originated when a group of
patrolmen under the direction of William F. Keefe came together
in September 28, 1896. These patrolmen from Newark, Jersey City,
Elizabeth, Hoboken, and Paterson decided to form an organization
so they could better represent the working conditions and salaries
during that time. Out of that meeting, Paterson PBA Local 1
was formed.
Cruz shared how their PBA flag came about. “When I took office Lt.
John Phelan and Sgt. Spagnola said, ‘Alex why don’t we have a flag
honoring the history of our PBA?’ So we got together with a bunch
of officers, and we started going through the entire history of our
PBA and the history of Paterson. After that, we came up with a
beautiful flag. The flag has a lot of history. We chose the blue and
gold for the flag because the colors date back to the uniforms of
the Union soldiers, which were later used as police uniforms after
the Civil War. The five stripes on the flag represent the five wards in
the City of Paterson, the first five constables, and the five founding
local police departments that collaborated to form the historic PBA
which were Hoboken, Jersey City, Elizabeth, Newark, and Paterson.
We also placed the PBA shield on the upper left hand corner of the
flag and surrounded it with ten stars. The stars represent the first
ten Paterson Police officers of the city of Paterson. Lo and behold,
that’s how we designed our PBA flag.”
Police Department Memorial
take, but they should definitely talk to their representatives. If you
know or believe you are right and they are wrong, definitely fight
it to the end.”
Administration, Unions and More
“There are many complaints against the administration. Whether
they are rigid or lack compromise, what can solve the problem
because often times they are seen as being out of touch with the
officers?” As a union president, Cruz recommends how to solve
issues between the officers, unions, and administration to avoid
escalating problems.
“The first thing they should do is have an open dialogue with the
union representatives. They should definitely sit down, and if there
is anything that is going to affect the officers or members, especially
the PBA contract; you should definitely sit down and have open
discussions. You can get more accomplished than keeping them out
of the loop.
There is no need to fight each other and constantly go headto-head. Communication is the key to a meaningful outcome.
Likewise, when it comes to conflicts with union presidents and
administration, they should also maintain open communication. I
can’t speak for other union presidents and their situations, but one
thing that I do is keep an open door policy to the members as well
as the administration. I listen to anyone and everyone who may
have a solution to a situation or problem that may arise, however;
don’t view my professionalism and mannerism as a weakness,
presidents must not allow police executives to dictate what’s best
for their members. They can’t let them walk over all that sweat,
blood, and tears that went into that contract. Letting them walk all
over it without a fight is not an option.”
Pension Reform
“Pension reform is another issue that has been at the forefront
of retiring law enforcement officers,” Cruz said. “A pension is
set up by employers, government, and insurance companies to
guarantee payment to the policy holder. Some parts of the pension
“For almost 10 years, Paterson has been working on a memorial to
honor the fallen officers. In 2007, Officer Tyrone Franklin was the
last policeman to get killed trying to stop a robbery. Since Cruz has
been in office, he has been working diligently with a committee of
officer’s to build the memorial to honor the men and women of the
Paterson Police Department that died in the line of duty.
Cruz’s view on Harassment in the
Workplace
“As president of the PBA, I am now faced with a different set of
challenges. If any of my officers are being harassed, or unjustly
penalized by the administration in the workplace, it’s our duty to
make sure we protect our members in order for it to stop, and
prevent it from occurring again.” Cruz added, “An administration
definitely has their job to do, but one thing I can say is that if a
police officer or a union representative is encountering some
sort of harassment, they should immediately go to their
representative and speak their mind. They must make sure to get
the representation that they deserve. The internal affairs division
is always investigating inquiries from a variety of complainants,
but when an officer feels that he or she is being indiscriminately
harassed because of a political agenda or someone’s ulterior
motive, officers should not take matters lying down, not in this
local or any other organization. There are a number of avenues to
15
cover story
have affected the money of those who have already retired.
The retirement system is supposed to work for police who have
paid their money into the funds. They are being stripped of their
bargaining rights like they did to the city of Camden. They didn’t
want to sit down and negotiate with the unions, so they disbanded
the police department and ironically, the chief of Camden is now
going to be the new chief for the entire metro police department
now. Politicians claimed that the Camden police department was
ineffective, but you would think that the leadership played a major
role in it. If it was that bad, why would you put the same individual
that was there when there was a humongous problem with the
police department back in reign?
It’s confusing because police officers have worked and paid
everything into their pensions, but the governor and his
predecessors continue to so call borrow money from our pension
but never repay it. To make matters worse, it is rumored that they
invested 200 million dollars of our pension into a casino that has
recently filed for bankruptcy. It’s a shame how police and fire
fighters have always contributed a larger percentage of our pay
into our pensions than any other public servants, but we get the
short end of the stick. Our contributions were recently increased to
10 percent of our salary; we’re making our contributions and never
missed a payment. Have they?”
Message to Governor Christie
Cruz shared a personal message with NJ Blue Magazine hoping
that Governor Christie will read it: “The men and women in public
safety are hard workers, dedicated to the communities that we
serve and we should be respected. We commit acts of valor saving
lives and providing assistance to those less fortunate in their most
desperate time of need, and we do all of this without the need
of any recognition. We are not your average public employees;
we run in when others are running out. We will continue to be
there when our citizens need us most, and we will sacrifice our
lives for our citizens including you and your loved ones. All we ask
is that you honor what we sacrifice for each and every day which
is our contracts.“
Community Service
Cruz knows that being President of the PBA is definitely not a 9 to 5
job. “Officers sacrifice their families to miss a lot of games, birthdays,
and graduations for their jobs”. He accredits his wife for being
very supportive of his career, and his members for giving him the
opportunity to lead them. When Cruz is not addressing the needs
of his officers, he and the PBA organization organize community
events to support the youth such as Christmas toy drives, giving
away school coats during Sandy’s aftermath, supporting numerous
sports programs, the Paterson P.A.L. and for the upcoming spring,
brand new shoes giveaway to kids in Paterson. Cruz said, “For
over 24 years, Paterson PBA has always been a proud sponsor of
sending kids to Disney World under the direction of Councilwoman
Vera Ames, and now led by Councilwoman Ruby Cotton of the 4th
Ward. Although our community service goes unrecognized, we are
constantly supporting the kids in our city.”
here in the future. Paterson is not going anywhere. The men and
women of the police department aren’t going anywhere. There is
a lot of work to be done, but know that there are a lot of good
people in Paterson. Hopefully, we’ll be able to clean up the streets,
and do what is best for Paterson.”
Final Words of Encouragement
As for the city of Paterson, while it may seem like a city with no
hope at times, I ensure our citizens that things will get better and
Paterson is definitely coming back.
To my officers, I know that you go unrecognized and unappreciated
for everything that you do, but let’s keep our heads up. The majority
of the community appreciates you and respects what you do.
To my children, don’t let anyone deter you from what you want
to accomplish in life. If life were always smooth, it wouldn’t be
interesting.
To my beautiful wife, thank you for allowing me to be myself.
I know that I am a workaholic, and you’re always telling me to
slowdown, but you know that I have that unfortunate disorder
that if something is not done; I can’t stop or slow down until
it’s complete. Thank you for always supporting me. You are my
backbone and without you I couldn’t accomplish anything.”
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Cruz’s final thoughts, “NJ Blue Now is an incredible magazine. I like
the topics you address with the controversial questions that a lot
of magazines won’t dare to ask. I know everyone is appreciating
all that you do and thanks for playing an integral part in the law
enforcement community.”
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The Future of Paterson
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long fallen from its glorious industrial days as the productive
“Silk City” to a place where some people consider a town for the
poverty-stricken and hopeless. Although it’s true that Paterson has
its share of negativity, I believe that there is still a glimmer of hope.
We were here in the past, we’re here in the present, and we will be
16
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17
Interview
sOMERSET COUNTY
Sheriff Frank Provenzano
By Daniel Del Valle
Somerset County Sheriff
Frank Provenzano has
served in the law
enforcement profession
for 45 years, a career that
nearly came to an end in
1980 with a near-fatal
chainsaw accident. Before
becoming Somerset County’s
Sheriff, he enjoyed a remarkable, diverse 33-year
career with the Bridgewater Police Department.
Today Sheriff Provenzano continues doing what
he loves best--working with the community--just
as he did in the beginning of his career, and he
candidly shares his career and family insights
with NJ Blue Now.
18
NJBLUENOW: What year did you start your law enforcement
career?
SHERIFF FRANK PROVENZANO: I started in 1968. I went
through an interview process with the Bridgewater Police
Department, probably starting in February of 1968. I was hired
and completed the process on May 5th in 1968.
NJBN: Sheriff, what made you go into law enforcement?
SFP: I went into law enforcement because I enjoyed being
involved in the community. Growing up, I played a lot of sports
in high school. I coached little league and Pop-Warner football
for my sons and daughters. I was also actively involved with the
recreation department working with the community. I thought
working in law enforcement would be a good vocation and
an excellent career because it would keep me where I wanted
to be and doing what I really enjoyed--working with the
community.
NJBN: Were you married at that time?
SFP: Yes, I was.
NJBN: How long have you been married?
SFP: Well, I’ve been married for 33 years.
NJBN: How many kids do you have?
SFP: I have four children. I have two boys and two girls. I have 3
children with my first wife: a daughter, son, and a younger daughter.
I have a son with my second wife of 33 years. My youngest son
is Frank Jr. He, like my other children, went to Bridgewater High
School. He was a sergeant in the Army spending five years with the
Stryker Brigade, stationed out of Alaska. He did two tours of duty
in Iraq.
NJBN: Wow, I’m sure he wants to get into law enforcement.
SFP: He is looking at that but I’m not going to push him. I am
enjoying a great career and I can say it’s been especially rewarding
since becoming Sheriff for Somerset County. I love this position.
NJBN: How long did you serve as a Bridgewater Police Officer?
SFP: I was there 33 years. I stayed for three extra years because my
son, Frank Jr., the youngest one, was playing lacrosse. With lacrosse
teams, they travel all around the state, and Bridgewater-Raritan
High School had a pretty good team. They travelled to Moorestown,
Lawrenceville Prep and so forth. I thought it was important for me
to be in the stands for him when he turned around, supporting
him.
NJBN: That’s beautiful.
SFP: Instead of just retiring after 30 years, I thought that was much
better for him, and it turned out it was much better for me also.
NJBN: Now you served for 33 years. What made you run for
Sheriff?
SFP: Well, I didn’t have any thoughts to run for sheriff. When I
worked at Bridgewater, I was a Captain in charge of the Operations
Division which includes all the uniformed men and women, first
responders, and so forth. Then I transferred to the Administration
Division dealing with budgets, dispatchers, the detective bureau,
and all special teams. One day in 2001, Kip Bateman, who is a State
Senator now, came to me and asked if I ever thought of being a
sheriff. The sheriff was going to retire and he asked me if I would
be interested in running for the office. I said, “You know Kip, I
never thought about it.” I had a job lined up in Staten Island. I
spoke to my wife about it and she said, “Go for it.” I never looked
back. My last days at Bridgewater were 12 years ago and my first
day of campaigning was the 17th of March in 2001.
NJBN: Now before I go into the election, Sheriff, did you ever have
any life threatening experiences as a law enforcement officer?
SFP: Besides working with Bridgewater Police Department, I was
also a hostage negotiator with the Somerset County Emergency
Response Team. We had an incident where a man was barricaded
in his apartment. He had a gun and wouldn’t come out. The
apartment owner was going to evict him. We found out that he
lost his family; his wife left him, and he was still drinking heavily. I
believe he was a veteran.
NJBN: What did you do?
SFP: It was my job to go there to talk to him. He was in a second
story apartment. I had a coach with me, Tom Kelly, who went on
to be Chief of Bernards Township Police Department and is now
my deputy warden; however, I was the main negotiator. We spoke
to him for about 4 to 4 ½ hours. He was upstairs talking through
the screen. He wanted to see me. I knew he had a gun and I said,
“The only way you are going to see me is if you put your hands on
the window screen.” He did that. My guys came out and gave me
a high-sign because they had a bead on him from across the way.
The only thing that really got him to come out was that he wanted
to talk to his brother in Florida. I arranged for that—at the time it
was called a bag phone; there were no cell phones back then, and
we started talking about the NY Giants and 49er’s game. He said
he would come out, but there was going to be a lot of noise in the
hallway. He had to take down the barricade. I said, “When you
come out, come out walking backwards. Guys in S.W.A.T uniforms
are going to approach you and put you down on the ground.”
While we were talking, the S.W.A.T team was trying to get up on
the balcony in the back to come in, and they said they couldn’t do
that. When the guy finally came out, we went inside his apartment.
We found that he had the back slider booby-trapped. Fish lines
were tied to beer cans with pennies and nickels in the beer cans as
trip wires for anyone coming in from the back door. We found out
that he had assault weapons in there. He had 4 hand guns and 4 or
5 long guns. He set up a bunker right where the window was, so
he was ready. If somebody would’ve rushed into the apartment, I’m
sure the outcome would have been different.
NJBN: I think that is an awesome story that could be used as a
learning tool because a lot of officers sometimes don’t believe
hostage negotiations can be dangerous. We really don’t know too
much about it. With this experience you had, it proves that you
never know when that tool might be used to help de-escalate a
situation.
SFP: Exactly, law enforcement teaches you a lot. It teaches you
to be calm, how to reserve your energy, and so forth. However,
I don’t know if that was the closest [situation] I’ve ever come
into confrontation. Off duty, I did have an incident where I had a
kickback on a chainsaw that came up and hit my shoulder and then
came right across my neck.
NJBN: WHAT!
SFP: Yeah, and I am still alive. It happened in 1980; I will never
forget it. I use to have a little side business of cutting trees and
selling the logs and firewood. I did this with my guys at work from
Bridgewater Police. I was in the woods about a mile or so cutting
wood with a buddy of mine, Rick Celeste, who is now the Director
of Somerset County Police Academy, but he had to leave and go to
work. It was snowing and I told him that I wanted to cut up just
one more log. Another buddy of mine showed up. He knew where
I was and went to get coffee. That is when I hit a log in front of
the log I was cutting. The saw kicked back and it came right at
my face. I turned sideways and it hit my left shoulder and it cut
me across the neck. I dropped the saw, went over to the truck to
look in the mirror and I said, “Holy Christmas!” I had these greasy
gloves on. I went back to pick up the saw and throw it in the truck
then I thought, “I’m going to die in these woods if I don’t get out
of here.”
NJBN: You are now by yourself in the woods; how did you manage
to leave?
SFP: I started driving to a house I knew, and I’m spitting on the
windshield to see if I am swallowing blood. Blood was coming all
the way down in the front of my shirt, and I’m calling on the CB
and one of the guys heard me. I pulled up to Henry’s driveway,
but he wasn’t there, so I backed into the woman’s driveway next
door, Mrs. Cooper. She came out running and started screaming. I
said, “Get me something to stop the bleeding and call the rescue
squad!” She gave me a bed sheet. Just then, another one of the
officers who heard me on the CB pulled up and said, “We’ll get the
squad.” I said, “No, Charlie. Take me to the hospital. I’m not going
to die here in the woods.” It’s strange how things happen, Charlie
is now the warden.
19
Interview
NJBN: That must have been a very frightening ordeal facing death
like that.
SFP: Well, I’m still around today. My name wasn’t in the Book of
Life that day. My father always said to me that life is like a book
and every page is a different page in your life. If your name is not
on it, then you survived another day. That was around 33 years ago,
January in 1980.
NJBN: So, were you calm or frantic the whole time this took place?
SFP: I was calm, Dan. I think the biggest thing is that you have to
learn to maintain your composure. I tried to keep calm to keep my
blood pressure down; I guess it worked.
NJBN: So, do you have that scar today?
SFP: Oh yeah. If I pick my head up and you look at my neck, you will
see it. It was 48 stitches on my arm and there were 70 something on
my neck, inside and out.
NJBN: That’s crazy.
SFP: He said [the doctor] that I just missed the main vein…just a
little bit more and I wouldn’t be talking now. As a matter of fact,
that doctor and I became good friends. He just retired. He’s up in
age, like me I guess, but he is a great guy.
NJBN: So, Sheriff, how old were you when you won the position
as Sheriff?
SFP: 57.
NJBN: You never know if it’s 100 percent that you will win or not.
When you found out that you won that night, what went through
your mind?
SFP: Well, I worked hard for it. Of course, my family was around me.
My sisters were there campaigning with me. There were feelings of
satisfaction knowing that you worked so hard for something and
you achieved your goal. I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me,
and I wanted to do many things for the sheriff’s office, one was
bringing it into the 21st century.
NJBN: Who were your opponents during the election?
SFP: I had a challenge in the primary and won that election. My
former boss and chief from Bridgewater Police ran as a Democrat
in the general election, and I ran as a Republican.
NJBN: You ran against your former chief?
SFP: Yes, Chief Dick Voorhees. We were always great friends. The
chief was instrumental in starting the dive team in Bridgewater;
of course, he and I were divers and great friends. There was no
animosity between us when we ran. I had certain things I wanted
to accomplish in the sheriff’s office and he did, too.
NJBN: So, you actually ran against each other and didn’t bash one
another. Is that what you are saying?
SFP: Yes, exactly! I ran against my former chief of Bridgewater
Police; of course, when he found out that I won, he called me and
said, “Congratulations, Frank, I know you are going to be a great
sheriff. If I could do something for you, let me know.”
NJBN: I wish all elections were composed of things like that. Now
you are running again this year, right?
SFP: Yes, sir. The election is again this year. I don’t feel like it is
about campaigning. It is continuous public relations. I go around
the county. I’ll go to fire prevention week; to senior citizens centers.
I’ll go to schools with my guys where we give K-9 demonstrations
and seminars on gangs. We also work with other towns in the
20
county—that is one of the best things I enjoy being able to go out
and help the community.
NJBN: What kind of work did you do for other towns?
SFP: We have an inmate work detail on weekends; instead of guys
spending time in jail every weekend, we put them out to work.
They go out and save money for each town. Over the last 6 or 7
years, we saved the towns in employee costs on weekends over
three quarters of a million dollars. The thing is they are grateful. I
know that some of those towns want us all the time, but we can’t
do it. We try to spread it around.
NJBN: How many inmates does Somerset County Jail have?
SFP: I won’t tell you how many we have, but I will tell you the bed
capacity is over 400.
NJBN: For those of us, who don’t know much about it, tell me a
bit more about Somerset County.
SFP: Well, Somerset County is the best county around. I don’t
have anything bad to say about any other county, but I’ve lived
and worked here all my life. We are a diverse county with many
different income levels. We have a mixture of low income, middle
income, and areas in the county with mansions. Donald Trump built
a golf course here as well. Somerset County has beautiful parks,
preserved farmland, elder care programs and is focused on offering
a good quality of life to its residents.
NJBN: You mentioned earlier about helping out the community.
Are there any community service projects that you are involved in?
SFP: My wife and I support Operation Shoebox. What we do is
collect all types of merchandise, box it up, and ship it to our troops
overseas. When my son was in Iraq, we sent boxes over filled with
baby wipes, toothpaste, crackers, Girl Scout cookies, and other
much needed supplies. He said, “Dad, it looks like Christmas.” My
son said that all the guys couldn’t wait for him to get boxes.
NJBN: That’s awesome. You are over there and you do not have
those essentials. All of a sudden, you get a box and it’s like you
said, it’s like Christmas. Now why did you start that project? Was it
because you had a son that served in the military?
SFP: We didn’t start the program, we just volunteer. My wife
wanted to do volunteer work, but she wasn’t sure what kind. Then
she saw an advertisement in the newspaper about an Operation
Shoebox packing event, and that’s how we got involved. We
thought it was the thing to do, pay back the soldiers for what they
are doing. I met General John F. Kelly who was the keynote speaker
at the Basilone Parade. John Basilone was a Congressional Medal
of Honor recipient who died on Iwo Jima after saving his platoon
in Guadalcanal. The sheriff’s office supplied security for General
Kelly while he was in town. He said that he had better security
here than when he was in Iraq. Also, he gave a speech about the
men and women overseas saying, “We are your away army, and we
have a home army in law enforcement.” He turned and said to me,
“Sheriff, we will take care of the away games, and you take care of
the home games.”
NJBN: I never heard that before, but it makes sense.
SFP: Yeah, he is a great guy. I met his wife. She is a strong person, a
Jersey girl. Unfortunately, one of General Kelly’s sons, 1st Lieutenant
Robert Kelly, was killed in Afghanistan while serving our country.
NJBN: Obviously, being a Sheriff you have to keep up a tough image.
As a father of a son in the military, did you have any hard nights?
SFP: I don’t care who says it, but you always have a soft spot for
certain things; of course, your kids come number one. He is out of
the service now, but when he was in, you never want to get that
knock on the door. My wife spent a lot of sleepless nights.
NJBN: Tell me about your job as sheriff. What has been your
greatest obstacle that you had to overcome in Somerset County?
SFP: I think it’s probably like any other corporation or governmental
agency. It is the economy; it is the budget. We have a budget here
in Somerset County that is less than our budget in 2008. We had
to keep cutting back, and the old saying was that you have to do
more with less. You have to go out and find innovative ways of
doing more with less, or continue the same services. What we are
doing is looking for grants to help and assist other towns. However,
I think the economy is starting very, very slowly to turn around.
NJBN: Absolutely. Sheriff, do you think that having cameras inside
the jails would be a good move for your county?
SFP: Well, for one thing, we don’t talk about security in the jails.
Everybody knows that there are cameras in the jails, and in every
penal institution in this state and every other state in the country.
They are there for safety reasons. It’s for the safety and security of
the inmates, as well as the staff in the county jail.
NJBN: Being the “head guy” I’m sure that you take the blunt
of all the good things and bad things that are happening in your
department. How do you feel about the relationship between the
administration and the officers around the state?
SFP: The sheriff’s office is a little bit different than your law
enforcement police departments because we really are not the
first responders. We are not heading to accident scenes. We do the
security for the County Complex and investigations on some county
properties and at the County Jail. However, I think the biggest
thing you can do as an administrator is walking and talking. I have
an open door policy that I think is a good thing. Some chiefs and
administrations don’t like it. I think it is very important to keep
open lines of communication.
NJBN: I’m glad that you are like that. I’ve spoken to many sheriffs
and asked them about ‘one’ of their downfalls while being in that
position. A lot of the answers were always I would have been more
hands on, or would have liked to have spoken with the officers
directly. Is there anything you feel like you would change?
SFP: Don’t let anybody kid you. There is always something that
somebody could do better in their job, and I know that. One of the
most important things you want is to be a part of and not apart
from your organization. I mean, they ask me why I wear a blue shirt
and not a white shirt. I say because I want to be a part of the team.
I want to show that I am not a white shirt. I have a blue uniform
like every other sheriffs officer out here. We only wear white when
we have a special occasion. I think it is very important that we have
that open line of communication.
NJBN: Sheriff, do you always wear your uniform when you come
to work?
SFP: No. I usually wear just a shirt that says Sheriff. There are times
when I go to different schools or meetings that I wear my uniform.
I like to wear a uniform.
NJBN: Sheriff, what is your outlook of correction officers?
SFP: The best way I can describe it is that correction officers
have the toughest beat in law enforcement. I didn’t coin that
phrase—99.9 percent of the time they are dealing with people that
have been locked up in an institution because of the sort of crime
they committed. When I was on the road as a law enforcement
Sheriff Frank Provenzano with General Kelly 2006
officer, I probably dealt with criminals 2 to 3 percent of the time.
They deal with them 99.9 percent of the time. I couldn’t stand
being locked in for up to 8 hours, sometimes 12 or 16 in a row. I
have the upmost respect for correction officers.
NJBN: Sheriff, another thing that came to mind is the former
officer from California. Unbelievably he became a murderer. He
made allegations against his department in California, and as we
all know unfortunately he purposely killed his former captain’s
daughter in retaliation. It’s an unfortunate story all around,
especially for the families who lost a relative, and obviously law
enforcement took a big blow from that. What are your thoughts
on that incident?
SFP: We know that his mental condition wasn’t the most stable.
You can’t just blame it on the organization or the department. Most
of the time officers like that have many more issues that we are
not aware of, and at times like that can create incidents resulting
in tragedy. The psychologist or psychiatrist can’t tell you whether
a new recruit is going to be a good officer. It’s not 100 percent
correct all the time. Different things that change in a person’s life
could be a trigger for that person. You just usually don’t snap.
NJBN: Sheriff, what are your plans if re-elected? Is there anything
that you started that you need to finish?
SFP: Well, one of the things we started last year and it is a work-inprogress as it continues to grow is Project Medicine Drop. Residents
can drop unused or unwanted medicine at our headquarters at any
time. We have cadets on 24 hours a day – 7 days a week. They
can contact the county communications and the cadets will meet
them at the front door of the administration building and drop
the medicine off. There are also thermal cameras and other types
of electronic devices we are buying right now for our Search and
Rescue Team. I want to increase the efficiency of our team. There is
a program called Project Life Saver. I don’t know if you have heard
of it.
NJBN: I think I have.
SFP: Ok, well I have officers trained in Search and Rescue and
part of that team is Project Life Saver along with our K-9 tracking
dog. In cases where someone wanders off and gets lost in the
woods like a young boy or girl with Autism, or an older person
with Alzheimer’s, our tracking dog goes out with team. If the
team is picking up a radio signal in one direction and our K-9 goes
21
Interview
off in another direction, the handler will let the dog track. The
bracelet might have come off the person and the dog is tracking
the person, while the team is tracking the radio signal from the
bracelet. One of our officers is writing a grant right now to present
to Congressman Lance to see if we can receive federal money to
buy more equipment for our team.
NJBN: That sounds great. Is there anything you would like to say
to the new, young law enforcement officers that are coming in?
SFP: I used to do some of the instruction at the Police Academy.
I think a couple of things I want to tell the officers who want to
move on and go to the police department is the one thing I always
stress: treat the public like you expect your mother to be treated.
You can have the nicest guy in the world that you stop in a car,
but there could be something that sets him off because of your
attitude. Most of the time if you treat them with respect, you’re
going to get respect back. You have a position of authority, yes, but
that doesn’t mean you are better than them.
NJBN: That is a strong message. You hit it right on the money.
You retired as a police officer; do you have any advice for officers
about to retire?
SFP: Make sure you know what you are doing. Make sure you
have something to go to whether you are active in sports or want
to take a part-time job. Make sure you are ready to retire. Probably,
the first thing I will tell them is “Thank you for their service.” That
is one thing to law enforcement that people don’t say. You have to
thank them for doing their job all those years, and now they get
time to retire and relax. They better go do something that they
really like to do.
NJBN: In your opinion, what is the greatest accomplishment you
have done so far?
SFP: That is a tough question. I don’t know if I have any greatest
accomplishments. Well, I think it is my family and all the years of
receiving support from my wife. I think the greatest accomplishment
is trying to balance all these different things I do. They always say
if you are going to lead an organization make sure you have good
people surrounding you. If you surround yourself with good people
then you should be good at what you do.
NJBN: What would you say is your worst quality? What is
something that you could work on?
SFP: Probably not spending enough time walking and talking to the
officers. From time to time I would go on every floor of the County
Jail and shake every hand there. It goes a long way. I’d like to do
more of that, but have time restraints; that is the drawback. You’re
just spread so thin. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. I love
what I do, I love this job with a passion, and I love my team.
NJBN: What message do you have for your team of officers in
Somerset?
SFP: Do the best you can do. I always tell them, like I’ve told you, to
Writers and
Articles Wanted
22
have a lot of contact with people. Every day people come into the
Superior Court of Somerset County. Most of the people who come
in there have a problem. They have other things on their mind. You
have to treat these people with respect. You have to understand
that they are coming here to either end up in the county jail after
they are convicted, sentenced, or come out of this courthouse very
angry with the decision that was made here. I tell them to make
sure they treat people right; that is the biggest thing.
NJBN: If I asked someone to describe you in one word, what
would it be?
SFP: Integrity. A sheriff from Rhode Island, Anna Castilla, gave me
a saying: “Integrity only counts when no one else is looking.” The
thing is we have to maintain credibility and the integrity of the
law enforcement organization. When people lose respect for the
organization, or for anyone in the organization, then it is failing.
NJBN: Very true. When all is said and done and it’s time to retire,
what do you want people to remember you for; what will be your
legacy?
SFP: That I tried the best I could to make the sheriff’s office the
best sheriff’s office in the State of New Jersey, if not the nation,
because I never gave up trying.
NJBN: Any message you would like to leave your wife and family
in this interview?
SFP: Well, I love my entire family very, very much. I love my wife,
Lou Ann, and I wish for us a great time together for the rest of our
lives.
NJBN: And to the Somerset County residents, what would you tell
them?
SFP: I want them to understand that the sheriff’s office is very
proactive and not reactive. The sheriff’s office is trying to improve
the safety and security for all the residents of Somerset County and
for anybody that travels to Somerset County to work here. We are
trying the best we can, and we will not stop trying to make this the
best community to live and work in.
NJBN: Sheriff, I would like to thank you very much for your time,
sincerity and professionalism. My final question is what do you
think about NJ Blue Now Magazine?
SFP: I think it is a great magazine. I wish it would have started
years ago to keep the law enforcement family informed. I read it
all the time. I get a lot of magazines here; I should start a magazine
stand, but I never put yours to the side. Not just because I am
talking to you, but I read about our law enforcement officers, and
I like the police work. I read about different things all over the
country in Police Beat, but NJBLUE NOW is a great magazine, that
illustrates officers uniquely. I really like this magazine.
NJBN: Sir, thank you so much.
SFP: Don’t stop what you’re doing; we need this.
Send us an e-mail at:
[email protected]
for more information
23
feature story
EQUALITY
& JUSTICE
SERVED
Donna Roman Hernandez and her partner, Scott Parks [1991]
By Captain Donna Roman Hernandez (ret.)
I
In February of 1994, the State of
New Jersey agreed to pay nearly 7.5
million to settle a federal civil rights
lawsuit which charged the state with
using discriminatory testing for law
enforcement and corrections entry-level
positions. I know this monetary award
seems unbelievable, however, the road to
secure this victory was an unbelievable
one as well—one I traveled along with
four other women, all of us determined to
effectuate change in the administration
of the New Jersey Civil Service written
and physical performance entry-level
tests for police officers.
24
n the late 1970s, I passed the written portion of the New Jersey
Civil Service exam for municipal police officers but failed its
physical performance portion. The physical performance
agility test was comprised of timed tests that included a 75-pound
dummy drag, an agility run around cones with a full tool box, a
long jump and a wall climb. I completed all these obstacles but did
not do so within the allotted time. Thereafter, I had a similar fate
passing the written exam and failing the physical performance
portion, this time just 6 seconds short of passing.
After experiencing these failures and witnessing the similar fates
of other female applicants, I organized a meeting and invited
them to join with me to legally challenge the State of New Jersey
and its Department of Personnel.
I contacted the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the
Rutgers Women’s Rights Litigation Clinic both located in Newark
and pled our case to them. I was disappointed that only a few
women attended my meeting, but I was overjoyed that four of
them decided to fight with me for our civil rights.
In June of 1987 the American Civil Liberties Union filed a suit
against New Jersey, charging that the state’s Department of
Personnel discriminated against women in administering the
state’s Civil Service physical performance test for police officers.
The lawsuit, “Roman, et al. vs. New Jersey Department of Civil
Service and the City of Newark,”was filed in Federal Court in
Newark on behalf of plaintiffs Donna Roman, Mary Vasquez,
Cecilia Shinn, Carrie Reed and Armandina Tahaney contending that
the New Jersey Department of Personnel’s physical performance
test for municipal police officers placed unnecessary emphasis
on physical attributes that most women do not have. It charged
that we were subjected to sexist remarks, hostility and harassment
during the application process. Mary, Armandina, Carrie and I
were applying to the Newark Police Department and Cecilia was
applying to Teaneck. Charges were also made that the test was
administered in a discriminatory manner. The waistband weight
belts were too large for women, forcing them to wrap the belts
around their waists twice causing them to take extra time to adjust
them when they fell to the ground during the test; the floor mats
were not properly anchored; the descriptions of the test were
inaccurate in significant respects; and those administering the tests
were condescending and hostile towards the female applicants.
Our lawsuit claimed that these practices violated the federal and
state constitutions and civil rights laws.
The U.S. Justice Department lawsuit was filed in 1988 and accused
the State of New Jersey of engaging in discriminatory testing and
selection practices on the basis of race and sex. The government
Complaint charged that the New Jersey Department of Personnel
had administered written tests which ‘disproportionately
excluded minorities, including women, blacks and Hispanics from
consideration for jobs.’ The tests were used for entry-level law
enforcement positions in nearly 12 categories, including municipal
and county police, housing police, park police, sheriff’s office,
campus police officer, and corrections. The government charged
that the tests were not a fair indicator of successful job performance
and that the state unfairly excluded women from the entry-level
police positions by requiring them to pass a physical agility test
which they failed in disproportionate numbers.
The ACLU sought a court order directing the defendants to revise
the physical performance test and its administration to eliminate the
adverse effect on women; to take steps to eliminate the atmosphere
of intimidation and hostility towards women applicants; and to
affirmatively recruit women applicants. Additionally, we asked the
court to direct our hiring with back pay and to award us attorneys’
fees and damages.
Our legal challenge of the physical performance examination lasted
for what seemed like an eternity but finally in February of 1994 a
settlement was reached and a Consent Decree was signed which
ordered the State of New Jersey to pay nearly $7.5 million dollars
in back pay to the 450 blacks and female applicants denied jobs
who were affected by the practices of the New Jersey Department
of Personnel. In our particular case, we were paid a settlement that
was divided amongst all of us settling all of our claims, including
compensatory damages, attorney fees and costs. In addition, we
and the plaintiffs in the other case were offered jobs on a priority
basis when they opened. The State of New Jersey agreed to set up
a $625,000 fund to provide retroactive pension benefits for persons
hired under the ‘priority employment’ program.
Nancy Smith, then a West Orange-based volunteer for the American
Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) was quoted by the Star-Ledger “The
state and local police departments need to realize that women are
going to be police officers. The exam tests not whether you can be
a police officer, but whether you are a man or a woman.”
We also filed a sexual discrimination complaint with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC found
probable cause to believe the physical performance test for
municipal police officers discriminated against women for two
reasons: A dramatically larger number of men passed the test than
women—79 percent of the men, 2.5 percent of the women, and
the Department of Personnel could not prove the test was relevant
to job performance. The Department of Personnel maintained that
the physical test was job-related, and it was designed to measure
events or incidents which occur as part of the job of a police officer.
Our lawsuit was not the first complaint of its kind to be filed
against the State of New Jersey in 1987. The first one was filed in
New Jersey in 1979 and the Federal Law Enforcement Assistance
Administration found evidence of discrimination in 1981. However,
ours was the first suit against New Jersey for the police officer
entry-level entrance examination, a test that was used by over 200
municipalities in the 1980s.
Another case with a similar action by the U.S. Department of
Justice’s Civil Rights Division, “The United States of America vs. the
State of New Jersey and the New Jersey Department of Personnel,”
was eventually enjoined with our lawsuit. Mr. Bennett Zurofsky was
the Newark attorney who represented our interests. It was a similar
action brought by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights
Division on behalf of 450 blacks and women who were discriminated
against and denied jobs as corrections officers, police officers and
sheriff’s deputies. This lawsuit charged the New Jersey Department
of Personnel with discriminating against women in the physical
performance test for municipal law enforcement positions and
against minorities in the written test given for the same positions.
In the 1980s the federal government had warned New Jersey about
its discriminatory testing and filed legal action only when the state
failed to comply voluntarily.
The main portion of this settlement affected 287 blacks who failed
the written test, 126 women who were excluded from ‘all male’
hiring lists and 39 women who failed physical agility tests. The
State of New Jersey was forced to eliminate its ‘male only’ hiring
lists for corrections officers and to drop its ‘gender-restricted’
assignment policies.
During that time, James Turner, the then-acting attorney general
for civil rights, hailed the settlement as “having torn down those
artificial barriers to employment,” and said the agreement will
“provide relief to those aggrieved and is committed to the vigorous
enforcement of our anti-discrimination laws.”
Years prior to this settlement date, the tests which had been
the subject of the Justice Department action and our lawsuit
challenge were discontinued and replaced with tests that are in
full compliance with federal standards. The police officer entrylevel written test was replaced in 1989 with a test recommended
by the Justice Department. I became a police officer with the Essex
County Police Department prior to this settlement having passed
the revised physical performance examination.
Our legal challenge proved that entry-level police entrance tests
should not test for knowledge, skills or abilities that will be taught
in the police academy, and entry-level testing should only identify
knowledge, skills and abilities that will enable an applicant to
become a successful police officer after appropriate training.
A physical agility test should only measure skills and abilities
at the minimum level actually needed to be able to perform the
job successfully.
25
feature story
By establishing a standard of physical performance for entrylevel candidates, agencies are saying that a particular level of
performance is necessary to do the job. However, if current law
enforcement officers do not maintain that level of physical
ability and are still effective as officers, then the level of physical
performance tested is obviously not required to perform the tasks
of the job.
challenge in the 1980s had something to do with more women
being hired as law enforcement officers nationwide!
Our lawsuit opened up the doors for women and minorities in
Jersey to take a revised and fairly administered police officer entrylevel written and physical performance examination. During the
1990s and 2000s, the percent of sworn law enforcement officers
who were women increased in federal, state and local agencies.
By 2007 nearly 4,000 state police, 19,400 sheriffs, and 55,300 local
police officers were women. I’m sure that our successful legal
Contact Donna Roman Hernandez @ www.
blueforcefilms.com or email @ salsacop446@
hotmail.com. Tune in Thursday nights @ 7 pm
to the LIVE broadcast of TOUGH JUSTICE blog
talk radio show online @ www.ddvradio.com
with host Donna Roman Hernandez.
Sources:
“Women in Law Enforcement,” 1987-2008, Crime Data Brief.
Bureau of Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice. The Newark StarLedger, article, June, 1987.
HONORING OUR HERO
POLICE OFFICER MARY ANN COLLURA
FAIR LAWN POLICE DEPARTMENT
Ten years ago, Fair Lawn Police Officer Mary Ann Collura
was killed in the line of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice.
On April 17, 2013 Mary Ann was remembered in a Memorial Service
by the Fair Lawn Police Department, Town Council, family members,
brothers and sisters in blue, police pipes and drums, police honor guards,
fightfighters, EMS, the military, friends, the faith-based community,
town residents, and everyone else who knew and loved her.
A 21-gun salute honored her devoted service
and so do we at NJ Blue Now Magazine.
End of Watch: April 17, 2003
Gone but not forgotten.
26
Honoring Heroes
Photo Credits: Donna Roman Hernandez and Deanna M. Dawicki
27
TRAINING
The Plague
of Bullying
By Lt. Joseph Pangaro
A
t the age of 15 she should have been planning her first
date, or what she wanted to do with her girlfriends over
the summer, or any number of other things that teenagers
do. Instead, because of the pain and humiliation she suffered at the
hands of her schoolmates, she hung herself in her bedroom.
This beautiful young girl from California was tortured by other
young people to the point that she saw death as a better alternative
then living with the shame of what happened to her and the
ridicule and hatred from her peers.
Eight days before her death she was at a party and passed out on a
bed in a room where the party was taking place. Three young men,
also 15 and 16 years old, came into the room, saw her passed out
and raped her. Not only did they rape her but they took pictures
and video of their actions and put it on several social media
sites. When word got out about the video and pictures, she was
inundated with comments, emails, and other means of electronic
and real life communications letting her know how much everyone
enjoyed her performance.
This is cyber bullying--a new and more powerful and painful form
of the tried and true life destroying bullying we are all familiar
with.
This case is one of hundreds we have seen in the news lately, but
there are many more that we don’t hear about. The reality of
bullying is that while we all know about its existence, unless it hits
our homes, it stays in the background. As police officers, we have
to take this seriously. If we don’t, no one else will.
Among the things I do professionally, teaching is my favorite. I
teach law enforcement officers on various topics such as narcotics
investigation, active shooter drill planning, crisis intervention and
criminal investigation. I also conduct a series of public sessions
on topics such as parental drug awareness and most recently on
bullying.
The bullying lecture was presented at various branches of the Ocean
County Library. Parents, students, police officers and teachers all
came to discuss this topic and watch the movie “Bully.”
When I talk to teachers and parents the same theme emerges—we
all know what’s wrong with bullying, but we are really short on
what to do about it and how to deal with it effectively when it
does happen.
One of the only weapons we have in the fight against bullying
is the court system. When we are called to investigate a bullying
episode, we have to take the time to really investigate it and listen
to the victim. In many cases we, all of us, have a tendency to see
kids having problems as merely a rite of passage and we don’t give
28
Lt. Pangaro teaching a bullying class.
it the scrutiny it deserves. By taking the effort to look beyond the
clichés that “kids will be kids” and “boys will be boys” or the ever
popular “let the kids work it out,” we can see the real story. If we
find that one kid is not just being annoying to another kid, but is
engaging in an ongoing course of action that can be defined as
bullying or harassment as the law would call it, we should bring the
appropriate charges and make the bully child and his/ her parents
answer for their actions. To do less is to leave a vulnerable child
unprotected.
Parents have been going to the schools for years trying to have
these things addressed, but the schools do not have many options
for dealing with the problem. Many school systems are taxed
beyond their capabilities to simply educate the kids let alone solve
the problem of bullying. We must make this a priority.
The kids who are bullied suffer. Their families suffer. In most cases
it is limited to the victim and their parents, but when one of those
bullied kids reaches their limit of pain, the results can be devastating
to entire communities. Some of these victims strike back in the form
of active shooting in schools, others commit suicide; either way it is
a societal tragedy that we are all a part of.
I want to reference comments made by one of the real life kids in the
movie “Bully.” He was a 12 year-old boy who was mercilessly picked
on about his appearance and other kids thought he was weird. The
film shows the other kids hitting, ridiculing and humiliating this
boy. He makes two chilling comments. His mother asks him if he
feels sad, hurt, or mad when the kids taunt him. He answers very
clearly that he doesn’t feel anything anymore and he wished he
were the bully. This is a recipe for tragedy. Think about his words.
At 12 years old, an innocent child should not be reduced to feeling
‘nothing.’ We can do terrible damage when we feel nothing. He is
not alone.
By doing our jobs and taking these types of calls seriously, looking
deeper, and understanding the dynamics at work, we can make a
difference. If we don’t, then who will?
Last year I read a story about a man who lives in Florida. His
young daughter had some physical and mental problems, but she
attended the local elementary school. Over a period of time some
of the kids in her school found it amusing to pick on this little girl.
Then one day the kids on the bus were particularly cruel to her,
and her father got on the bus and yelled at these kids after the girl
pointed them out. The man was arrested and charged with a host
of violations.
I was struck by this story from two sides. As a police officer, I
understand that we cannot allow adults to board a school bus and
yell, scream and threaten any child. Based on that understanding it
was clear that his arrest appears to be appropriate. He lost his cool
and reacted badly.
we went off for summer vacation. In September, Kelly didn’t come
back to school and we never saw her again. I guess she moved away
or went to a private school. I can’t imagine that the scars left by the
bullies went away any time soon. I know her torment still haunts
me to this day.
The other side of me, the father side, felt some type of empathy
with this man. His daughter was being picked on or “bullied”
continuously and the school system did nothing about it. He was
wrong to get on the bus and verbally attack the kids who attacked
his daughter, no question about that, but I get the sense he was
trying to protect his child.
The reality of the bully and bullying is that it does leave scars that
last a lifetime. As an adult, I know there must have been more kids
that were just as upset by the way Kelly was treated as I was. It is
not part of our human nature to see an innocent person attacked
and think it is okay. I hope Kelly has managed to move on with her
life and that the bullying is just a painful memory that she was able
to live with. I also try to forgive myself for not doing more to help
her. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I was drawn to police work--to
protect the innocent and weak.
It would be easy to simply write this off. We all knew a bully in
school: The guy or girl who taunted the skinny or the poor kid, or
the kids who were different in whatever way, or the girl that didn’t
have the nicest clothes. For many of us, as long as the bully wasn’t
targeting us, we let it go, grateful we were not on the receiving
end of the bully’s rage.
From personal experience I remember watching a girl in the 6th
grade that was tormented by quite a few of the kids in the school.
Her name was Kelly. At first it was just mean names they called her,
then she was shunned, and it was a shove here and there. I didn’t
see any difference between her and any of the other girls in the
school. She seemed normal. When they started in on her she would
try her best to defend herself from the horrible things they said to
her, but the more she defended her self, the worse it got. She told
the teachers about it, and then it got vicious. The taunting was
constant with comments about her parents, her clothes, and her
hair. She spent at least a part of every day in tears and alone. To my
eternal shame I saw this happen and did nothing for a long time.
Over that year the way she was treated made me sick. Finally, one
day I could not remain silent. I had to pull together every bit of
courage my 11 year-old soul could muster. As the group was ripping
into her again I said meekly “Why don’t you leave her alone?”
My attempt at stopping the attack was met with taunts to me
about how much l must love her, how I must be a ‘freak’ lover.
This experience was painful and frightening and it didn’t help
very much. The kids still picked on her, and she ran away crying
every day. I wished I was stronger, but I was a kid. The bullies had
strength in numbers and they were relentless. That year ended and
If you’d like to receive this
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Children are trying to find out who they are as people. Some kids
do act strange and dress weird and have goofy habits, but making
sport out of these innocent children is a tragedy and it is up to all
the adults to identify this corrosive behavior and help put a stop to
it. After all, who among us has not been the “weird one” at some
point in our lives as we tried to find our place in the world.
Lt. Joseph Pangaro is in the 27th year of his
law enforcement career. He serves in a police
department in Monmouth County, New Jersey.
Pangaro is a graduate of the Certified Public
Managers Program (CPM) through FairleighDickenson University and serves his department
as the lead Training Officer. He also writes
a weekly newspaper column dedicated to
helping his readers understand the rigors and joys of a career in
law enforcement. Joseph Pangaro is also the CEO and President of
Pangaro Management and Training and Management and Pangaro
Global Training, an on-line training company. Contact Lt. Pangaro
@ [email protected].
Dari Izhaky
graphic artist
H
H
H
H
www.njbluenow.com
Many parents have no idea how their kids behave outside of their
direct supervision. Bullying and being a bully is something that
happens over time. Parents have to instill in their kids that being a
bully is not the thing to do. As adults we have to change our view
of bullying as a “part of life.”
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remembrance
9-11 Fallen Heroes
Sponsored by
Remembrance Series
Sponsored by Moment of Silence, Inc.
Officer George Gerard Howard
O
™
www.MomentOfSilenceInc.org
fficer George Howard, a 16 year veteran, was appointed
to the Port Authority Police on October 21, 1985. He was
the recipient of five Meritorious Medals, a Group Citation,
awarded the Executive Director’s Unit Citation and an Individual
Valor Medal for his actions during the 1993 World Trade Center
bombing. Throughout his career, he also received twenty-three
commendatory incident reports.
Officer Howard was well known and respected for his expertise
in rescue operations and firefighting and he designed and
implemented the training program for personnel at JFK and
LaGuardia Airports. Additionally, he designed the JFK Emergency
Services Truck that now bears his name in honor of his sacrifice and
heroism. As a tribute to him, this truck participated in President
George W. Bush’s Inaugural Parade in 2005.
Officer Howard had the day off on September 11, 2001, and
responded to John F. Kennedy International Airport from his home
immediately upon hearing the news of the first airplane attack on
the World Trade Center. He then responded to the World Trade
Center in Truck 8 and after picking up another officer at Church
and Vesey Streets, he proceeded to the northwest corner of West
Street and Vesey Street. Upon arrival, the officers got out to initiate
rescue operations and immediately heard a loud roaring sound.
Officer Howard was fatally struck as Tower Two collapsed.
On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush held up Officer
George Howard’s shield during his speech before a joint session of
Congress and said, “Some will carry memories of a face and a voice
gone forever. And I will carry this: It is the police shield of a man
named George Howard, who died at the World Trade Center trying
to save others. It was given to me by his mom, Arlene, as a proud
memorial to her son. This is my reminder of lives that ended and a
task that does not end.”
George Howard’s dedication did not end at the end of his workday.
He resided in Hicksville, New York with his two sons, Christopher
and Robert where he served his local community as a volunteer
with the Hicksville Fire Department attaining the rank of Chief. His
flair for writing proved useful as he often wrote articles for the
National Firefighters Association of which he was a member. He
also instructed firefighters in the art of repelling and firefighting
as a member of the Nassau County Fire Academy Cadre. After his
term expired, he continued to serve as ex-chief with the Rescue
Company. He coached lacrosse for PAL and varsity lacrosse at a local
high school and served as goalie for the Volunteer Fire Department
Championship Hockey Team. Officer Howard was a graduate from
Chaminade High School where he also played hockey.
32
STAR
Superior Teamwork
teamwork
Achieves Results
By P.O. Jay Martinez Deputy Commander
Perth Amboy Swat
On April 15th, I along with millions of other
Americans were glued to the TV watching the
Boston Marathon in sheer disbelief. This heartfelt
incident impacted all of us for the simple fact that
it was a cowardly act during the most intimate of
moments. When the smoke cleared one young
boy and two young women laid dead and close to
three hundred were severely injured.
Immediately, Boston’s finest sprang into action.
They treated the wounded, cleared the area for additional threats,
secured the crime scene and had the injured treated by incoming
medical personnel. Right before us we observed our brother LEO’s
fall back on their training and deal with this critical incident.
Ironically, last month I reminded all of my brothers and sisters in
blue to remember that the lone wolf is still watching and waiting
to attack again. My words unfortunately became prophetic. Two
brothers dressed like thousands of fellow marathon supporters
slipped in unnoticed.
Cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine, April 22, 2013
ultimately complete their objective. It was amazing to see different
dimensions of the law enforcement community come together and
simply work on the same accord. Aviation, investigators, patroltraffic and tactical teams operated like a finely tuned machine.
In conclusion, my military and police experience tell me that the
U.S. will in the future resemble the great state of Israel. Many
more of these first and second generation radical, cult bombers
will continue to emerge, leaving us as LEO’s to hunt them down
and bring them to justice. I pray for the three victims, the hundreds
injured and for Boston to remain ‘strong.’ Never stop training and
be safe.
Moments later millions around the world were flabbergasted
with what they observed. But from my perspective this is where
they underestimated our nation’s finest. Their plan of destruction
involved everything but an extraction route and a brilliant plan on
how to escape and evade the so-called drag net of thousands of
gun toting badge wearing sheepdogs.
In Miyamoto Mushashi’s ancient text ‘Samurai Secrets’ he, along
with many other battle tacticians, remind us, “know your enemy.”
Evidently the Tsarnaev brothers didn’t know the intangible traits of
the American lawman. They underestimated those dynamic traits
that set us apart from every other profession (except servicemen)
in our great nation. Those traits are the ability to hone in and get
the task completed, bar none.
In WW II (Normandy landings) when the future of the free world
was at stake a mystical conscious man rose above all others. Dwight
D. Eisenhower was chosen Supreme Allied Commander above UK’s
Arthur Tedder and Bernard Montgomery. Perhaps his Pennsylvania
Dutch ancestry instilled in him qualities that President Roosevelt and
Winston Churchill deemed invaluable as they chose him Supreme
Commander and Operation Overlord. The June 1944 mission was
successful due to his ability to lead and foster effectiveness with ten
allied countries, a task not easily accomplished. These traits would
inevitably lead him to the Office of the President of the U.S. to
inspire a nation.
Evidently, five-thousand LEO’s were inspired last week to work
around the clock motivated by pride, their oath to protect our
nation from all enemies foreign and domestic, and teamwork. I am
sure a little caffeine helped their cause as well. I also believe clear,
strong leadership from FBI SAC Richard Deslauriers and Boston
PD Commisioner Edward Davis cleared the path for their men to
33
Suicide
Suicide in Law Enforcement:
A Far Too Common Problem We Can Help to Prevent
By SCO E. Molina, AWCF
L
aw enforcement is rewarding, fulfilling and a great way to
support you and your family. The pay is competitive, the
benefits are wide ranging and the retirement plan is solid.
Of course our pay and benefits hit a bump in the road from time to
time, but overall the good far outweighs the bad.
and actions people exhibit when contemplating suicide. It is crucial
for you to know what they are so you can take appropriate action.
Below is a list of some common things individuals may do prior to
taking their own life. It often occurs in this particular order but
does not necessarily have to.
But our lifestyle and career choice come at a price. Law enforcement
personnel face unique challenges that are difficult for the average
civilian to comprehend. It is one that only our brothers and sisters
in blue can relate to.
1. C
hronic or severe depression
But this stress takes an additional toll on our personal lives that
often and unfortunately leads to one thing: suicide.
Suicide occurs in all levels of society and in all age groups. However,
the rate of suicide in law enforcement is approximately double that
of our civilian counterparts (22 per 100,000 officers compared to
12 per 100,000 in the general population*). This figure is generally
accepted but is often challenged and debated. One thing remains
true; the difficulties we face are unique in comparison with the
general public.
Below is a list of examples of the stress law enforcement personnel
experience:
• Law enforcement deals with the decay of society, the criminal
element, that doesn’t conform to the laws and norms of everyday
life. We deal with people that try to deceive us, take advantage
of us and probably want to physically hurt, maybe even kill us.
These criminals are unstable, unpredictable and do not carry the
same sense of logic and reasoning as the general public.
• Law enforcement goes into every shift not knowing what the day
will bring. That level of uncertainty adds to the stress because
you think about what occasionally does happen and what can
potentially happen. Regardless of how often it occurs, the simple
fact that you are regularly exposed to the possibility of fighting
for your life brings a stress level unmatched in the private sector.
• Law enforcement personnel run higher than normal risks of
experiencing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD. It can
come from officers witnessing violent crimes to having to take
someone’s life, or anything in between. Regardless, any of these
extreme events can lead to levels of stress not typically seen in the
private sector.
• Law enforcement personnel are expected to successfully balance
dealing with societal decay and then back with their family at
home. On the surface that seems simple enough, but even the
best cop can sometimes take home some of the day’s stress. The
additional challenge can manifest itself into others problem such
as marital issues, domestic violence and other personal social
dysfunctions, all leading to stress.
The higher, unique level of stress we have to deal with explains the
higher rate of suicide in law enforcement compared to the rest of
the population.
That being said, we all have a professional responsibility to
minimize the risk as much as possible. There are certain behaviors
34
• Individuals contemplating suicide usually exhibit traditional
signs of depression. Such as:
• Not participating in activities that were once enjoyed by the
individual
• Abusing alcohol or drugs
• Withdrawing from friends and family
• A dramatic change in sleeping and/or eating habits
If you notice these or other signs of depression, it can be an early
indicator that he or she may be contemplating suicide.
2. R
egularly “joking” or casually
mentioning suicide
Quite often, people joke around with the term “suicide” or
downplay its consequences with phrases like, “Eh, no one
would miss me,” or “Maybe I should end it all… that would
solve the problem,” (followed by a chuckle or quick laugh).
Medical experts believe this may be a subconscious cry for help.
3. A
sudden elevation in mood and
happiness
At this point, they have made a conscious decision to follow
through with suicide and they feel a weight has been lifted off
their shoulders. By then, they may have specific plans as to how,
where and when they may take their own life.
4. G
iving away all personal possessions
Once they have decided they are going to follow through with
suicide, they often give away all of their valuable possessions as
part of “tying loose ends” or similarly handling personal affairs;
all red flags.
Even though 64 percent of suicides are considered a surprise, there
are usually accompanying early warning signs and symptoms of
suicide contemplation**. Especially in law enforcement, where the
risks run higher, you never know what demons people are battling
with. Never take the subject of suicide lightly. If you recognize any
of these signs or symptoms you have a responsibility to act on it.
Perhaps sometimes people do joke around with the subject and
sometimes not, but is it worth the risk?
For those of you who have personally known someone that
committed suicide, you know how devastating it is to friends
and family. Suicide is preventable and we all have to stay alert
to the warning signs of someone considering it. We have to use
our training and instincts, just as we do at work, to know when
something is not right.
There is help available but it sometimes takes the action of a good
friend or co-worker to take that first step. Sometimes people with
personal problems aren’t looking for a cure, they are looking for a
way out and suicide seems like an easy, quick fix.
And if you are considering taking your own life, know that there’s
another way. You’ll learn that your problems are similar to many
other people in law enforcement. You just have to take the time
to reach out to the support system and you will realize that it’s not
so bad. Believe me, there are people that care about you and what
you’re going through and have similar problems.
We all have an inherent responsibility to look out for one another.
We work in the same environment, so we know firsthand the
problems and challenges that exist day to day. The only thing worse
than dealing with a friend that committed suicide is knowing that
you recognized early warning signs but failed to take action. Let’s
(973) 616-1970
all do our part because losing one officer to suicide is one too many.
Help Resources
New Jersey Cop2Cop Help Line (866) Cop2Cop [866-267-2267]
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE (784-2433)
Sources
*www.policeone.com/health-fitness/articles/137133-police-officersuicide-frequency-and-officer-profiles/
**http://www.officer.com/article/10232405/2009-police-suicidestatistics
Molina is a State Corrections Officer with the NJDOC and has a
Masters Degree in Public Administration. Molina is a military
reservist and officer with the Army National Guard. He is a blogger
@ http://www.leadlikeahero.com.
MICHAEL KELLY
Criminal Lawyer
2025 Hamburg Turnpike
Wayne NJ 07470
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973-307-0591
www.911mca.com
35
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April 14, 2013
Photo Credits: Willis Hulings & Donna Roman Hernandez
36
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37
Special interest
WOUNDED NATURE WORKING VETERANS
NEEDS YOUR SUGGESTIONS
By Rudy Socha
This is the Problem
Boaters are visiting outer islands and rural beaches to picnic and
party. Unfortunately, many are leaving their empties and trash
behind. Many fishermen aboard boats are also tossing their beer
empties overboard rather than allowing them to accumulate
onboard. Even some sailing vessels are now tossing their wine
bottles overboard.
We Know Why
Boaters are afraid to return with a boat full of empty alcohol
containers. Boaters know that doing so invites a DUI check if they
encounter law enforcement along the way back or when they
reach the docks.
Do You Have a Creative Solution?
We would like to hear from law enforcement on some creative
solutions for reducing this problem. Saying the boat driver should
not be drinking is obvious but not a creative solution to the problem.
Please Send Me an Email with Your Solution
Rudy Socha, CEO, Wounded Nature – Working Veterans
[email protected]
At the end of summer, this
publication will print the
results of the most creative solutions we received. We have also
asked boating magazines to ask boaters for their solutions as well.
Wounded Nature - Working Veterans (www. Woundednature.org)
is a Charleston based 501c3 non-profit using volunteer boats and
manpower to clean up debris and trash left behind by boaters on
outer islands and rural beaches. We also work to address coastal
storm debris and help after natural disasters. We are the only
organization working year round on a national basis to address
these problems.
Until we can locate sponsors for boats, we are limited to being able
to tackle about 10% of the coastal areas needing our assistance.
Once financed, our boats will be staffed by veterans.Currently our
clean-up efforts are limited based on available volunteer boats and
workers for each project.
Rudy Socha, CEO, Wounded Nature - Working Veterans
www.woundednature.org
[email protected]
NJ Strikers won the Championship in the
North Bergen Tournament For Special Olympics
This was their record:
NJ Strikers - 6... NJ Strikers North - 0
NJ Strikers - 6... Hudson County Corrections - 1
NJ Strikers - 14... Weehawkin PD - 0
Finals
Nj Strikers - 5... Blue Bloods - 2
31 goals “for”... 3 goals “against”
phy
with Tro
y Strikers
e
rs
Je
w
Ne
2013
April 19,
38
President’ s Message:
I would like to thank you for all of the support
given to our organization from the New Jersey
business community and law enforcement family.
Without your continued assistance we would not
be able to operate. Again, we appreciate all that
you have done for us, and congratulations to the
best law enforcement soccer team. Coming soon
our very own website for all of you to visit. We
will announce it here in NJ BLUE NOW magazine
when we go live.
Kurt Peins
President, New Jersey Strikers Law Enforcement
Soccer Club, Inc.
New Jersey Women in Law Enforcement
Annual Leadership Training Conference
May 30, 2013
8:00 AM—4:00 PM
Rutgers University Visitor’s Center
100 Sutphen Road
Busch Campus, Piscataway, NJ
http://www.rutgers.edu/visit-us/visitor-center
OVERCOMING ADVERSITY
8:00 AM: Registration/Continental Breakfast
Morning Session
The Challenge of Balancing Life and Career
Lt. Deanna Stevens, West Sacramento PD
AGENDA
International Human Trafficking/Child Abuse
Sgt. Aida I. Marcial (ret.), Global Justice Investigations
Keynote Speaker and Annual Awards Luncheon
Afternoon Session
Human Trafficking: Case Studies and Stories of Survival
Emily Collins & Holly Smith
Closing Ceremony and Tribute to our Heroes
Networking Event
Complete and Return this form with $60.00 registration fee to NJWLE
(please print)
Name
Agency
Address
City/State/Zip
Phone
E-Mail
Rank
Are you a NJWLE Member? Yes
No
Has your rank changed
since attending the last
conference?
No
Yes
Cell Phone
Make checks payable to: NJWLE Training Conference (Vouchers accepted)
Please return to:
New Jersey Women in Law Enforcement
P.O. Box 414
Cream Ridge, NJ 08514
For further information please visit our website at: www.njwle.org
Or contact Major Wendy Galloway, NJSP (Ret.) at [email protected]
NJWLE is a 501 (C) 6 Non-Profit Organization
39
Jewel
ENTERTAINMENT
O
By Dan Lorenzo
ne of the most fascinating rags to riches stories in musical
history is that of Jewel Kilcher. Growing up in Alaska,
surviving on the land with no electricity, no heat and an
outhouse, Jewel eventually ended up homeless and living in her
car. Jewel then made her way to San Diego where a local radio
station began playing her live bootleg recordings that ended up
in the top ten on that station. A subsequent bidding war began
where Jewel eventually ended up singing with Atlantic Records.
She’s gone on to sell over 27 million albums and release books
of her poetry and children’s books. Now married to rodeo star Ty
Murray Jewel passed through NJ recently in support of her new
Greatest Hits CD.
Dan Lorenzo: I’ve been researching you for days. I think I finally
found something about you that’s not perfect! You called me three
minutes later than you were supposed to.
Jewel: (laughs) It wasn’t my fault! I was doing an interview before
you. It’s hard to kick you guys off!
You seem so perfect. Have you ever even had a pimple?
(laughs) You’re silly.
You seem like you’re always sweet and nice. Are you ever a bitch?
Well I don’t think you survive being homeless without being a bit
of a scrapper. I was on the other end of popularity and I don’t think
I’ve ever been a bitch for the sake of being a bitch. Talk to my
husband and he will set you straight. (laughs)
The odds of you making it through those early years unscathed
seem like a million to one. Do you believe in fate?
Not really. Not that I lack optimism. I got through my life seeing
that I could have a say about things. Through hard work I could
“change the stars” if you will. I think having a fatalist attitude sort
of makes you feel like you’re not in control. For somebody whose
life isn’t going well it’s very important to feel like you can get in
control and change the course.
I agree. With all our faults, that’s one thing I love about America. I
believe hard work will pay off.
Yeah, it’s proven again as dysfunctional as our system can seem at
times that’s irrefutable.
I just read you’ve sold over 27 million albums. Does that put more
pressure on you with each thing you do, or less pressure?
For me, I say less pressure. When my first record, Who Will Save
Your Soul, turned into a hit I was sorta freaked out because I didn’t
know how I did it. I didn’t mean to do it and I didn’t know if I would
ever do it again. Then that record got so popular, I think it sold 14
million copies and all of a sudden I went, “Wait a minute. If I keep
all my money I never have to work again. I never have to have a
hit again, I never have to sell a record again, so who cares?” At the
time I was being mentored by Bob Dylan and Neil Young and their
whole thing was “Screw it. Do whatever the heck you want! Don’t
think about radio and don’t think about the press. Don’t think
about anything except what you think is right.” So that’s what
I did.
Most of us never know particularly at that young age what it’s like
to know you’ll never have to work again. If you lost your career
could you be happy sitting on your ranch in Texas just singing and
writing for your husband to hear?
40
I think I’d always do my thing whether anybody knew or cared. I
like what I do and I enjoy being creative. I’ll always find a way to
be creative. I’ve done a lot of things in my career where I gave up a
lot of money or fame because I wanted to try and find a balance in
my life. Most people in this career tend to have very good careers
and very poor personal lives. I didn’t want that to happen to me
and it’s really important to me to be happy in my whole life. You
have to put time into it and build it just like you would a career. I
quit touring Europe and Asia and Australia. I take years between
records. It’s very unheard of and I’m sure its cost me in a ton of ways
as far as fame goes but I’m fine how I am. I’m perfectly comfortable
with what I have and where I’m at. I make music that I like and I do
it in a way that allows me to still be happy and not feel like I’m in a
wheel, a cycle that’s destructive.
Why do you think most celebrities place their careers ahead of their
families?
Oh gosh, there are a lot of factors. I think there are several factors
that go into those types of decisions. One is who you’re surrounded
in, what kind of career do you want for yourself and what kind is
your manager wanting. A lot of times your managers are broke
or they’re living “mortgaged” and they’re living a lifestyle beyond
their means, so they need you to go on the road and they put
a lot of pressure on you to go on the road so that they can get
their commissions. You’ve got to make sure you’re surrounded
by managers who are good with their money and not pressuring
you for the wrong reasons. Another reason is a person’s need for
fame and success. I don’t think fame changes people, I think it just
puts gas on a fire that is already there. If you have neuroses or
certain tendencies they’re just going to become more exaggerated
with fame.
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41
ENTERTAINMENT
I’ve been a fan of Howard Stern for years. I think one of the most
fascinating interviews he’s ever done was recently with you. Did
you get a lot of feedback after that interview?
Yeah, I’ve done two interviews with him and the feedback was
overwhelming on both of them. He really has an amazingly loyal
fan base and I like him a lot. I enjoy his interviews a lot.
When I listened to your last Howard interview I thought somebody
has to make a movie out of your life. Have you been approached
for that?
It’s funny, when I was about twenty two a movie studio wanted
to do a bio on me. I turned it down. Is that so funny? What an
idiot. I just thought it was such an odd thing to do…a biography on
yourself when you’re twenty two.
Does releasing a Greatest Hits CD mean the end of an era? Are we
going to start to see less of you?
No. My labels have wanted me to do one of these since I was about
twenty five. I wanted to wait until I had a body of work that...I
knew I wanted to do country and pop and get some of these styles
out so I wanted to wait to get that done. Now was just a good time
to do it. I also include a new song on it so people can see where
I’m at and do it in a chronological order so people could sort of see
the whole process, how I’ve evolved and changed musically. I don’t
know what I’ll do. I have tons of music. I’m very prolific.
You bring your baby on the road with you right?
Yeah, I go on the road Thursday and I’ll be bringing the baby out.
Does your husband ever meet you while you’re touring?
Oh yeah. He comes out. He has to run the ranch and stuff, but he
sorta comes and goes on the road.
Are there any songs not on your Greatest
Hits CD that you wish got more attention?
Is there a song in particular you’d like us to
go back and revisit?
I always liked Stand off of 03/04.
That’s actually my 2nd favorite song of
yours. Please tell me you weren’t really
naked in the video’s shower scene.
Oh yeah, I just like to give the crew a
show! Why not?
No, you wouldn’t do that!
No! Of course not!
Dan Lorenzo
NJ LUENOW
™
Magazine
We’re not here to filter your message, we’re not here to give you a one-sided argument.
We’re here to publish all views, from any and all in law enforcement. We’re all Blue, we’re nj Blue Now Magazine.
Pro law enforcement, pro truth, pro you!
www.NjblueNow.com
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Donevan Lemay, 15 yrs old, plays for the Skyland Kings.
He wanted his new goalie mask air-brushed to pay tribute
to our military and country.
Done by Rudy at Wicked Creations in Wayne
43
201.345.4993

May 2013 - NJ Blue Now

Transcription

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