More than 450 law enforcement officers in New Jersey faced major discipline last year for infractions ranging from rape to sleeping on the job. (Photo by New Jersey Monitor)
An Edison patrolman was drunk off-duty when he drove off the road and hit trees and utility poles, killing two passengers in his car.
An Ocean City police sergeant sexually abused a teenage girl over five years.
And a Monroe cop failed a drug test, logged onto a police database to research his girlfriend, and used Facebook Messenger to solicit a resident online for Percocet, getting disciplined by his bosses at least 10 times.
The three, who were fired for their misconduct, were among 460 law enforcement officers in New Jersey who received major discipline for wrongdoing last year, according to a 375-page report the state Attorney General’s Office issued Wednesday. That’s up almost 14% from 2022, when around 400 officers statewide received major discipline. There are more than 31,000 active, full-time officers statewide, according to the office.
The office began publicly reporting major discipline annually in 2021 as part of an effort to increase accountability and transparency in policing. Attorney General Matt Platkin said in a statement the latest report builds on that goal by including fuller details of disciplinary cases.
“Increased transparency helps increase confidence in law enforcement, leading to greater public safety,” Platkin said in a statement. “New Jersey’s law enforcement officers — the vast majority of whom serve with professionalism and honor — benefit from this increased public trust, enabling them to more safely and effectively serve New Jersey’s residents.”
The report chronicles a staggering range of misconduct by 460 officers from 167 agencies disciplined with a five-day suspension or more in 538 cases. Fifty officers were repeat offenders, 58 officers got terminated, 402 were suspended (with an average suspension of 45 days), and eight were demoted, the data shows. Pending cases aren’t included in the data.
State correctional officers, collectively, tallied the most major discipline charges, while the state police, county correctional officers in five counties, and the police departments in Newark, Trenton, and Jersey City rounded out the top 10 agencies with the most major discipline, according to the data. Newark and Jersey City are New Jersey’s largest cities. Trenton’s police department is under federal investigation for abuses.
Law enforcement agencies are required to report major discipline by the end of January annually. Of the 543 agencies that reported data, about 375 reported no major discipline.
By county, Camden reported the most major discipline at 72 cases, followed by Essex and Hudson counties, with 51 cases each. Warren County listed two offenders, while Hunterdon reported three and Salem, six.
New Jersey State Troopers Fraternal Association President Wayne Blanchard said the annual report continues to build transparency between the public and police, but noted that the number of disciplinary reports represents about 1% of the 30,000 or so officers working statewide.
“I think that’s actually a really good record,” Blanchard said. “I mean, 99% of officers are out there doing the right thing, as we’ve always maintained.”
In Atlantic County, where county correctional officers racked up the third most major discipline statewide, spokeswoman Linda Gilmore said the agency is “strictly following” the Attorney General’s guidelines for discipline reporting.
“The majority of our 23 discipline cases in 2023 were for time and attendance violations,” Gilmore said.
Dan Keashen, spokesperson for Camden County, also noted that 75% of the disciplinary infractions attributed to Camden’s correctional officers were for time and attendance issues.
“The Camden County Correctional Facility has been committed to transparency and accountability as it pertains to its operation and this report. It’s critical for our organization to ensure that our public servants are doing the best job they can while running the jail and working alongside our inmates,” Keashen said.
A New Jersey State Police spokesperson said, “Every day, our troopers work tirelessly and face significant risks to ensure the safety and security of our communities. We are dedicated to serving and protecting our communities with integrity, honor, and professionalism. We are committed to upholding the law, ensuring public safety, and building trust through transparency and accountability.”
The state Department of Corrections and Trenton Police did not respond to requests for comment.
Alarming array of offenses
Cops got disciplined for all sorts of reasons last year, including domestic violence, theft, assault and excessive force, positive drug tests, unsafe handling of firearms, sleeping on duty, speaking to colleagues in a “sexually harassing manner,” using racial slurs, flouting COVID testing protocols, smuggling contraband to incarcerated people, neglect of duty, and unprofessional conduct.
The most frequent offenses stemmed from attendance issues, including lateness and call-outs too close to the start of a shift.
Other offenses were far more alarming.
North Bergen Officer Roberto Gonzalez was suspended after being accused of sexually assaulting someone while off duty, the report says.
In Atlantic City, Officer Faryid Holmes was suspended after authorities accused him of recklessly fleeing police while off-duty, almost hitting a marked cruiser head-on, while another Atlantic City officer, Thomas Nealis, got suspended for punching a person in the face and choking them until they couldn’t breathe, according to the report. Nealis resigned while the investigation was ongoing, the report says.
Gloucester County Sheriff’s Officer Mark Hasenpat got suspended after assaulting his neighbor twice, according to the report.
Franklin Township Sgt. Teddy Cerra resigned after he was suspended for a road rage incident, the report says.
Manville Police Chief Thomas Herbst got suspended and charged for various alleged offenses, including unwanted sexual behavior toward at least three women . Platkin’s office accused him of groping, exposing himself to, sexually harassing and sexually assaulting a subordinate between 2008 and 2021 and soliciting sexual favors from the wife of a subordinate officer. Herbst is on leave and set to go to trial in October, according to Patch .
South Woods State Prison Correctional Officer JT Banks faces indefinite suspension after he was charged for kicking an incarcerated man in the head, according to the report, which says Tyrell Harris‐McLaughlin, a correctional officer at the Edna Mahan Correctional Facility for Women, was terminated for sexual assault of an incarcerated woman.
In Camden, officer Eddie Gonzalez resigned after he was accused of paying for sex while on duty, the report says.
Cape May County Sheriff’s Sgt. Douglas Siteman was accused of making inappropriate and unsolicited sexual advances toward a woman in England and got arrested for non-consensual sexual conduct, but he wasn’t convicted, according to the report. He was demoted.
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