viperwiz20
****
Registered: 03/08/08
Posts: 287
|
|
| |
Reply with quote | #1 |
Show of Support for South Harrison Township Police Department
PBA Local 122
South Harrison Twp Municipal Building
664 Harrisonville Road
Harrisonville, NJ 08039
Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 1900hrs
The majority of the committee is attempting to lay off 2 police officers of a 7-man department. As with most layoffs, the reasons behind them are 100% political. Both of these officers responded to a call last year which resulted with a citation issued to the wife of a committeeman. The backlash that has followed since then is unbelievable. Three members of the committee have been investigated by either the police department, the prosecutor's office, the NJSP, or the FBI. These are the same three members that are voting on these two layoffs! It is clearly retaliatory in nature.
If your schedules allow it, please come to the Township Meeting at the above address and time and show your support for these officers.
|
| Loading... | | |
rollingrock9
****
Registered: 12/09/06
Posts: 478
| |
viperwiz20
****
Registered: 03/08/08
Posts: 287
|
|
| |
Reply with quote | #3 |
In August of 2008, officers answered a 9-1-1 hang up call at 1:57 a.m., which was placed by an 18 yr old female who was too intoxicated to hold her infant child. There was a 16 yr old female passed out on the bathroom floor. Officers Barbetta & McWain offered to dispatch an ambulance and the parents refused. 18 yr old stated drinks were at the Gaines Residence. When officers arrived, a 19 year old male and a 20 yr old female were in the rear yard with a bon fire and approximately 150-200 empty beer cans. When Cindy Gaines came to the door, she was very uncooperative, and stated that she was aware of underage drinking and that it was, “okay”. She was advised it was not.
Following that incident, complaints were signed by Barbetta against Mrs. Gaines for 2C:33-17b (Making alcohol available for consumption to underage persons) and the 2 females were charged with 2C:33-15 (Consumption of alcohol by a minor). Mr. Gaines was only a candidate for office at that time, but on November 4, 2008, the night the township was voting, while out in the hallway, this is what occurred: Corporal S. Weston & Barbetta hear comments made in hallway by Gaines, in the presence of others. Gaines stated “If I get in, Barbetta is going to get fu*king fired, you can bank on that! I’ll make it my mission. I’m going to send him back to grade school where he belongs. They don’t know who they’re messing with. I'm going to straighten out that whole department. Fu*king Barbetta is lucky I was asleep that night he came to my house. He’s lucky I didn’t wake up or I would have beaten the sh!t out of him, took his pistol and used it on him. They would have had to pull me off of him. He don’t want to deal with me again. Fu*king retard, coming to my house at three o’clock in the morning shining a flash light in my family’s face.” At that point, someone said in a low voice, “Watch what you say, he’s right down the hall.” Gaines replied, “Fu*k him; I want Barbetta to hear this! I don’t know what happened to this police department, there’s no courtesy anymore."
News Articles:
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-13/125256391535940.xml&coll=8
http://www.nj.com/gloucester/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1252824939317290.xml&coll=8
Petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/shpd7/petition.html
|
| Loading... | | |
illuzions
********
Registered: 01/18/05
Posts: 2,276
| |
rollingrock9
****
Registered: 12/09/06
Posts: 478
|
|
| |
Reply with quote | #5 |
i wonder how much the township will end up paying after the well-deserved law suit they get?
__________________
sweep it |
| Loading... | | |
viperwiz20
****
Registered: 03/08/08
Posts: 287
| |
njcop761
********
Registered: 03/07/08
Posts: 1,867
|
|
| |
Reply with quote | #7 |
Back the armored car up to that Cops pocket.........Power hungry tools
__________________
Cops DON'T do other Cops... |
| Loading... | | |
ROSCO
****
Registered: 04/03/05
Posts: 461
|
|
| |
Reply with quote | #8 |
The most potent fact in this case is the fact that the governing body appears to have too much "control", over the functions of the police department. The State of New Jersey has different forms of government that communities are authorized to have. A typical form is the mayor council type whereupon some mayors are stronger in authority and other mayors are designated to be weaker. In just about all instances, the mayor or council hires a business administrator, whom works for them and is their "appointee".
The appointee usually does all their dirty deeds, such as firing employees or suspending officers. The communities sometimes have the council hire or fire people directly via the council's vote.
The article that prompted this post appears to be a "text book" case of political interference. Also, a community in New jersey may designate an ordinance that allows for outside hearing officers or panels to review these type of situations. The communities that opt to bring in an outside panel essentially remove the kind of hatred and bias this article describes. Clearly, this man whom was being considered for local government has a proverbial axe to grind, stemming from a drinking fest at his own house. Again, he appears to be a text book example or poster child for political interference.
Further, and in summation, we must remember that New Jersey has two, "primary controlling statues", that govern the operation of a police department. The entities that are under civil service fall under a vague administrative code known as title 4A. The problem with 4A is that it's provisions are extremely vague and frequently subject to abuse. The 4A scheme states that an officer or other public employee may be brought up on charges, laid off or whatever the case may be and those same charges are to be heard at the departmental level. The problem is that the people at the departmental level are frequently the same people that caused the problem.
Therefore, one could be in a world of trouble at the so called departmental level hearing. Also, title 4A only provides that an officer or other public employee shall have some sort of hearing in front of the appointing authority, with no protections or rules for how that hearing is to be conducted or by whom. Essentially, the town has the cards stacked to suit them.
The entities that are not under The New Jersey Civil Service Commission or simply non-civil service, fall under the provisions of title 40. The provisions of title 40 are equally vague, stating that matters such as layoffs, suspensions or terminations may simply be heard by whomever the appointing authority designates. Again, at the initial departmental level, the same unfairness may very well persist. The primary difference is that the adverse decisions from a non-civil service town are appealed to The State Superior Court, at the county level.
The problems listed above seems to permeate the entire state. The one method that could be effective is to have the police union enter into a contract with the municipality to have all police disciplinary matters heard by an independent board or panel that is comprised of person(s) designated, as neutral parties by the union and the town. There is no law or rule known at this time that would forbid this type of practice. There is a more in depth article in the excessive disciplinary protection database or edpdlaw.com, outlining the establishment of this type of board or panel.
My final thoughts on these types of matters are that the law enforcement community can only grow from a vocation, into a true "profession", by eliminating the type of interference described in this post. Further, by establishing more clearly defined parameters as to the method that officers are suspended, fired or laid off, give those whom are entrusted with such vast responsibilities a broader sense of assurance. The modern policeman of this era has enormous legal, civil, physical, moral and ethical dilemmas to contend with. Therefore, the threat of a city administration driving you out of your job because of a personal vendetta of any kind should be a "thing of the past". This police profession surely needs to be elevated far above the impediments of "small town politics". The essential raising of the bar is not impossible. Also, as the years wane on, the policeman's responsibilities never decrease, they increase. Therefore, those entrusted to wear a badge need greater measures of protection.
__________________
ROSCO |
| Loading... | | |
BeyondReality
*
Registered: 10/09/09
Posts: 9
|
|
| |
Reply with quote | #9 |
Yea I absolutely agree with you. To many councils out there have way to much control of their PD. Check APP.com and look at Stafford in Ocean County. They are going through a huge thing between their mayor (Former LT who sued the dept and left) and their current chief. The mayors/Councils have way to much control over many PDs. There is a reason they are civilians and they should stay that way. In my town the Dept governs itsself, thats the way it should be unless it gets out of control
|
| Loading... | | |
