NJ LUENOW Volume 5 ~ Issue 5
June/July 2014
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New Jersey’s Independent Voice of Law Enforcement www.NJbluenow.com
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Officer Joseph M. Navas interview with
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NJ LUENOW Team
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contents
Editor-in-Chief Daniel Del Valle
34
Publisher Envisage Productions Managing Editor Donna Roman-Hernandez
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Design Editor Dari Izhaky Copy Editor Donna Roman-Hernandez Advertising Director John Welsh 201-881-5100 Chief Product officer John Welsh writers Officer Fasil Khan Matthew A. Peluso, Esq. Officer Jay Martinez Dan Del Valle Officer Eddie Molina Lt. Joseph Pangaro (Ret.) Sebastian Thaler Dan Lorenzo photographers Donna Roman-Hernandez Robert Ortiz Vincent J D’Amico WEBSITE/SUBSCRIPTIONS www.njbluenow.com EMAIL NJBlueNow@gmail.com ADVERTISING 201-881-5100 OFFICE 279 Belmont Avenue Haledon, NJ 07508 973-653-3446
The opinions and information provided in this magazine are the sole opinions of the editor and contributors and not their employers. NJBlueNow is published 9 times a year. ©Copyright 2011 NJ BLUE NOW, LLC. All rights reserved. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate as of publication date, NJ BLUE NOW, LLC and its employees, agents, clients and distributors shall not be liable for any damages arising from the use of or reliance on the information contained in this publication or from omissions to this publication. The www.NJBlueNow.com website is powered by ENVISAGE PRODUCTIONS, LLC. Layout & design by Dari Izhaky email: dzeek@optonline.net God Bless Our Troops!
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
Please share and recycle this magazine.
42
30 Editor’s point of view
6
Daniel Del Valle
health
8
The Greatest Ride
legal
Pensions Are Not 10
Entitlements: The Mutual Consideration Behind Public Pensions
awareness
Say Cheese for the Camera 12
interview
The Membership Comes First 14 Detective Mark Razzoli, NJ State Presidential Candidate Fraternal Order of Police
famous lawmen
Famous Lawmen of America 20 J. Edgar Hoover: Dedicated and Committed
up close
Walking The Constitution 22
cover story
PBA President Alexander 24
Rosario, III, Sounds Off Hudson County Corrections Local 109
EP Envisage Productions
feature story
30 Sergeant Daniel Meehan, Speaks from His Heart
Special olympics
34 New Jersey Summer Games remembrance
Officer Joseph M. Navas 36
technology
38 New High-Tech Tool: NCIC Background Check with Cellphone Scan of an ID
blue events
40 NJ Honor Legion Essex County Police Reunion 41 Arrvial of the Police 42 Unity Tour
New Jersey Women in law enforcement
44 Annual Training &
Leadership Conference
blue paws
46 Law Enforcement Officers and Their Canines
entertainment
48 Tracy Morgan
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editor’s POINt of VIEW
T
he cover story for this issue of NJ Blue Now is about PBA President Alexander Rosario, III in Hudson County who is speaking out about his administration due to the lack of reliable equipment and harassment that his agency’s administration has committed.
As you know, I am against bullying; those who use their power to harass officers and more, and law enforcement leaders on all levels who use bullying tactics with their officers as a form of compliance. If we continue to stand down and let our leaders and administrations abuse their power and authority, then nothing will change. I believe that officer suicide has a lot to do with what’s going on at work. Leaders who abuse their authority and power can negatively influence officers’ temperaments on the job and in their personal lives. I am proud to see leaders, like Brother Alexander Rosario, speak out and I wish many more would do so. I encourage officers to be outspoken, but not to be fooled by the leaders who always try to downplay issues just to make their jobs easier; and to question leaders and administrations on issues that officers feel are a priority and important for their safety and peace of mind. I frequently hear complaints from officers but never seem to understand why some unions don’t file grievances against their departments and are ‘buddy buddy’ with people who, at times, are not worried about the officers but worried about their next photo credit, next dinner, next speech, next pose, next election, next opportunity to reprimand an officer, or worried about kissing up to elected officials. Stand up, not down, and don’t wait to be isolated, ignored, punished, or be put in a place where your life is in danger by leaders who don’t care or provide the proper equipment needed to do your job. No vest? That’s not acceptable morally and legally. Fight for your rights by all means possible. Yes, I said, by all means possible. In the end, many officers say they fear or hate work much more because of the people they work with than because of the threat they face just because they are officers. I want to stress that there are great leaders in abundance in our profession, compared to the few who operate ‘outside of the law.’ However, it’s time to send this message to law enforcement agencies and departments that perpetuate and encourage a dangerous or hostile work environment: ‘enough is enough.’ Tip of the Day: If your adversary or enemy has the power to make the rules or change them, never play by the rules. You must humble them and remind them that they are not untouchable, but human just like you. Till next time! Stay Healthy, Stay Strong, Stay Blue! If you’d like to receive this magazine free by mail… please go to our website
Daniel Del Valle Editor Daniel@njbluenow.com
www.njbluenow.com this issue is sponsored by
Medwell L.L.C. 33 Central Ave. Midland Park, NJ
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
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health
The Greatest Ride By Officer Fasil Khan
O
n May 8, 2014, I rode for the Police Unity Tour and it was truly one of the best experiences of my life. For those of you who are not familiar with the Tour, it was organized in May of 1997 by Officer Patrick P. Montuore of the Florham Park Police Department, with the hope of bringing public awareness to police officers who have died in the line of duty and to honor their sacrifices. The Tour started with 18 riders on a four day fundraising bicycle ride from Florham Park, New Jersey to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. and raised $18,000.00. This May the Tour had nearly 1,700 riders nationwide and raised over 1.72 million dollars for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, bringing the Tour’s total donations to nearly 14 million dollars since 1997. One day while working patrol, a friend of mine, Danny Aguilera, a Woodland Park Police Officer, told me that he had just completed the Police Unity Tour in 2013 and the experience was truly amazing. He said that I should join him the following year for the ride as it would truly change my life. When I started the research for this trip my first thought was, “Wow, that’s a long ride,” however as time went on, I really studied the history of the Unity Tour and 8
NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
what the organization’s goals and vision were. What I discovered inspired me to ride for my fellow officers who were killed in the line of duty. I found that to be very powerful. I took the next step and filled out the application to start moving forward with the process. I noticed I had to do an evaluation to make sure I was able to handle the long ride, at which time I went to the Newark Police Department’s 5th Precinct to conduct my evaluation--all the officers there were very helpful and supportive throughout the entire process. On May 8th, we attended our dinner meeting and the next day we were beginning the ride. I was excited to see what challenges were waiting ahead. Day 1 was not bad and I completed the leg without issue; however, day 2 and 3, wow! Those two days were fun, challenging, and tough. At times, I was telling myself “Just keep pedaling, you can make it. Don’t give up as this ride is not for you, but for the officers who were killed in the line of duty--so you MUST complete the ride.” I know within my heart and mind that is what got me through the ride. I made it to day 4 and this was the day that made it all worthwhile. It really drove home why we rode; it was for the officers who could not.
As we stopped at RFK Stadium before our ride into Washington D.C, I was lucky to meet some great groups of officers from all over the United States. After an hour break, we mounted our bikes for the last time. As we started riding, all of us could see where the thousands of people were saying ‘thank you’ for riding. The families of officers who were killed in the line of duty thanked all of us, and once we came up to the memorial, you could see all the names of the officers who were killed inscribed on the memorial walls. Words can’t describe how powerful and emotional that moment becomes. Then it hits you why you are truly riding! I have started a campaign to raise money for the organization and I would like to especially thank Paterson Police Department PBA Local 1 for their support, NJ Blue Now Magazine and many thanks to all my supporters. A special thank you to the Newark Police Department riders and support staff that supported me throughout the entire weekend. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without any of my supporters. Khan Coaching “Command Your Life, Lead Your Life, Lead Your Life to Get the Results You Want Out of Life.” www.KhanCoaching.com.
To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
Once Public Employees, Now Practicing Attorneys. Get to know who’s on your side. John D. Feeley, Esq. Sr. Partner
Tony F. LaRocca, Esq. Sr. Partner
J.D., Seton Hall University School of Law B.S. cum laude, Fire Science/ Criminal Justice
J.D., Quinnipiac University School of Law, (Formerly Birdgeport School of Law) B.A. Criminal Justice, Kean University
John Feeley, Esq., is a practicing attorney who devotes the majority of his practice to the areas of disability pensions for public employees and worker’s compensation claims. Prior to starting his legal career in 1997, Mr. Feeley served as a police officer and firefighter in the City of Orange from 1983 to 2008, where he was also a Union President of the FMBA Local 10 and FMBA Local 210 for 17 years. He has a unique understanding of the legal options available to public employees and has successfully argued many cases, including Russo v. the Board of Trustees for Police and Firemen’s Retirement System, 206 NJ 14:17A.3d 801 (2011).
Tony LaRocca, Esq., is a practicing attorney with 27 years of legal experience. His primary expertise lies in workplace injuries, with a strong emphasis on worker’s compensation benefits and pension benefits for police officers, correction officers, firefighters and public employees. He currently holds a position as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Kean University. Prior to his legal career, Mr. LaRocca served as a corrections officer for 9 years in the Union County Department of Public Safety where he received the Award of Conduct Above and Beyond the Call of Duty.
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FEELEY & LAROCCA, LLC “Protecting the rights of those who protect the public” · · · · · · · ·
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Tony F. LaRocca, Esq. Tlarocca17@gmail.com
Essex County Office: 973-821-5360 Union County Office: 908-486-3003
legal
PENSIONS ARE NOT ENTITLEMENTS:
THE MUTUAL CONSIDERATION BEHIND PUBLIC PENSIONS By Matthew A. Peluso, Esq. “Pension: a fixed amount, other than wages, paid at regular intervals to a person or to the person’s surviving dependents in consideration of past services.” “Entitlement: the right to guaranteed benefits under a government program, [such] as Social Security or unemployment compensation.” dictionary.reference.com “Contract: an agreement with specific terms between two or more persons or entities in which there is a promise to do something in return for a valuable benefit known as consideration.” thefreedictionary.com
T
he American poet James Russell Lowell reflected: “And what is so rare as a day in June? Then, if ever, come perfect days.” In the song from his musical Carousel, Oscar Hammerstein wrote that: “June comes bustin’ out all over/The saplin’s are bustin’ out with sap/ Love he’s found my brother, Junior/And my sister’s even loonier/And my Ma is gettin’ kittenish with Pap… All because it’s June… June, June, June.” Unfortunately, here in Jersey, times have clearly changed, and the once-beautiful month of June now bodes of darker days. This year we have again been hit with our annual bout of June “budgetitis.” In our state, as in many other states, this annual affliction involves the governing administration’s attempt to blame all of the financial mismanagement and economic favoritism at the municipal, county and state level (and even at the federal level if the sitting Governor has national political ambitions) on public pensions owed to teachers, law enforcement officers and other public servants. When faced with a tough election campaign, partisan budget battle or decreasing favorability polling, the kneejerk response from many politicians is to blame everything on public employees and their pensions. Even though government 10
NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
spending on public pensions still constitutes a small percentage of our total annual state budget - for example, just $1.5 billion out of the proposed 2015 budget of $33 billion – the increasingly hostile political environment since 2008 has provided politicians with an easy scape-goat for all of our state’s economic problems: public employee pensions. Despite prior promises, our Governor recently announced plans to take $2.43 billion slated to fund public workers’ pensions and use it to fill the estimated $2.75 billion state budget gap. Given the fact that the state’s public pension system already faces unfunded liabilities of approximating $52 billion, this latest reneging could lead to complete default in the near-future, additional credit downratings, and litigation by public unions, since the failure to make the full pension contributions violates the 2011 pension law previously signed by the Governor. The Pension and Health Benefits Reform of 2011 made various changes to the manner in which, inter alia, the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS), the Police and Firemen’s Retirement System (PFRS), and the State Police Retirement System (SPRS) operate, and to the benefit provisions of those systems. Under that 2011 law, law enforcement officers covered by the Police
and Fireman’s Retirement System are now forced to contribute 10% (up from 8.5%) of their salary to their pensions. State police officers’ contribution rate similarly increased to 9% from a prior rate of 7.5%. In addition, all public employees, including law enforcement officers, are now required to contribute to their health insurance benefits and employees covered under public pensions will no longer be given cost-of-living-adjustments (“COLA”). This law was the direct result of bi-partisan legislative support, but included a quid pro quo requirement that, in exchange for the higher contributions from public employees and a waiver of COLA, the current administration would make annual minimum mandatory funding payments to the state public pension fund. This promised funding is needed to ensure that the contractual pension benefits of all public employees, including law enforcement officers, will be available to them when they retire. Yet, in the now-accepted vernacular of the debate over the funding of public worker pensions, be it in Trenton, Detroit or Madison, Wisconsin, the politicians arguing against the pension rights of public employees intentionally (and wrongfully) refer to pensions as government “entitlements.” However, as the aboveTo Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
quoted definition indicates, government “entitlements” are more accurately limited to social welfare programs, such as Medicaid and Aid To Families With Dependent Children (AFDC). From their inception, these “entitlement” programs were based on underlying moral beliefs and social concerns for the poor of our country, as well as the role that government should play in assisting them. The Great Depression of the 1930s decimated the American labor force and drove tens of millions into homelessness, poverty and malnutrition. To remediate this unprecedented mass-suffering, Congress, under the leadership of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, created the federally-funded programs, also later adopted by states, which are now commonly referred to as government “entitlements.” To be “entitled” to these social welfare programs, individuals do not have to “earn” their benefits through work of some sort. They only have to show that they are poor, homeless or in need of other governmental assistance. However, the history of public employee pensions in this country arose from completely different concerns and motivations. “Following the rise of military pensions, retirement plans were extended to state and local employees… in the nineteenth century, and many public workers were not offered pensions until after World War I. After 1850, several large cities began providing disability and retirement benefits to employees in their police and fire departments.” Clark, R.L., Craig, L.A. and Wilson, J.W., “A History of Public Sector Pensions in the United States,” (Univ. of Penn.) 2003, p. 6. Pensions were “introduced in the public sector to help public administrators attract and retain quality workers, to provide them with performance incentives, and to retire them in an orderly fashion.” Ibid at p. 9. This was the same underlying basis for the creation of New Jersey’s “Police and Firemen’s Pension Act” (Title 43), which created a statewide pension system for full time police and firemen designed to ensure the uniform protection of all such public officers through pensions payable from a fund maintained upon a sound actuarial basis. Seire, et al. v. Police & Fire Pension Commission of Orange, et al., 6 N.J. 586,
591, 80 A.2d 97 (1951). Since its enactment, courts in our state have found that there is a strong legislative policy in favor of providing for public employees. See Eyers v. State of N.J., Bd. Of Trustees of PERS, 91 N.J. 51, 449 A.2d 1261 (1982). “A fundamental purpose underlying the pensioning of civil servants is to secure good behavior and the maintenance of reasonable discipline during service.” Uricoli v. Police & Fire Retirem. Sys, 91 N.J. 62, 449 A.2d 1267 (1982). See also, Masse v. Public Employees Retirem. Sys, 87 N.J. 252, 432 A.2d 1339 (1981) (a primary objective in establishing public pensions is to induce able persons to enter and remain in public employment, and to render faithful and efficient service while so employed); and Plunkett v. Bd. Of Pension Com’rs of City of Hoboken, 113 N.J.L. 230, 173 A. 923 (1934) (a basic consideration is that a guarantee against want, when the years of productivity have ended, will enhance the quality of the service rendered). Further, unlike pure “entitlements,” New Jersey law enforcement officers have been involved for decades in contractually negotiated agreements between the PBA or FOP, and the particular government employer at the municipal, county or state level. All such parties have been represented by legal counsel in these negotiations over the years, and both the unions and the government have at least de jure (if not de facto) equal bargaining leverage. For a couple of hundred years, contracts have required mutual “consideration” to be binding. In any binding agreement, the mutual consideration exchanged by the parties to the contract is best described as the “what do I get” part of the deal. Under New Jersey law, “no contract is enforceable… without the flow of consideration - both sides must ‘get something’ out of the exchange.” Continental Bank of Pennsylvania v. Barclay Riding Academy, Inc., 93 N.J. 153, 170 (1983), quoting Friedman v. Tappan Development Corp., 22 N.J. 523, 533 (1956). Part of the “consideration” for becoming a law enforcement officer in the first place is the promise that is made by the government of this state to each prospective officer that he or she will be paid a pension at the end of their public service. Thus, for law enforcement officers, part of their promised
compensation for years of public service is payment of a pension and health benefits in their later years. As many law enforcement officers readily admit, without this promise of a pension, they would not have chosen to become cops, and this, in turn, would undermine the important underlying public policy of encouraging individuals to provide the necessary, but dangerous, public service that law enforcement officers provide to the residents of this state. Prior to the 2008 recession, there were few complaints about public pensions, especially for law enforcement officers. The reality was that, when the private sector was booming, no one wanted to be a cop or a teacher, since many Americans believed that they were destined to make millions on Wall Street. However, after their dreams blew-up, too many residents and politicians in our state looked to place blame on everyone other than themselves. It’s now time for these residents to look elsewhere for our state’s continuing economic problems, and to ensure that those who have served the public through good and bad times are paid what they are legally due. Matthew A. Peluso, Esq. is an attorney based in Princeton. He has over 20 years of experience in numerous types of complex litigation, including 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: 609-3062595. His e-mail address is: mpelusoesq@ live.com. His experience can be reviewed on Linkedin.com and on his firm 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.
NJ Blue now | June /July 2014
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awareness
Say
e s e e h C for the Camera
By Officer Jay Martinez
T
he uniformed Officer walks into the local D&D and thirty eyeballs peer at his badge. The same Officer pulls over a vehicle and now traffic reduces itself to a crawl. Respond to a call of a lion, I mean a cat in a tree, and by the time you press the clear button, you’re on Face tube. You could be that Officer that looks as hideous as a baboon’s butt but people love looking at you. How many times did you hear your academy instructors speak these words? Not even the President of the U.S.A. possesses as much power as you do. Egregious but not agreeable as we know it, like Spidey’s great Uncle Ben once stated, “With great power comes great responsibility.” But we fully comprehend the pun. In this zealous era of technology, our roles have been constricted with Big Brother, the Wizard of Oz and ESPN’s super slow mo watching our every move. In 2014, the American crime-fighter is under the following: • MVT • Body mics • Vehicle GPS • Respond, arrive and departure signal • Constant building, business, intersection, and residential surveillance • Mobile recording devices on firearms and Tasers • Jailhouse surveillance systems that dwarf the Pentagon’s system.
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
Every move, every step, every turn, every decision that you make will be recorded and analyzed. Do citizens ponder the anxiety that certainty places on most Officers? No, not even a clue. Today an Officer has to understand and fully comprehend every aspect of the most complex profession in the nation. Because the burden of being watched is so intense, it will certainly force the scrupulous to hesitate, double guess and become apprehensive especially in the face of insolence. Once that hesitation and apprehension has seized and shaved off valuable hundredths of a second off an Officer’s timely response, the altered outcome can be fatal. In other words, he who hesitates has lost twice--lost the moment to act and lost his life. Because technology has changed, it doesn’t mean we should now wait to be kicked, punched, stabbed and shot. Despite the eye that besieges us all, lay valuable opportunities for us to be vindicated once the burden of proof has reached an educated overseer. Know your job; accept the lenses as modern day advances that are here to stay. Don’t be camera shy or reluctant because you are being video tubed during an MV stop--be professional, firm and consistent. Now more than ever, I am my brother’s keeper. The word ‘police’ has to involve brother policing brother.
squirm and think rashly of submitting those retirement papers. I say Harvey Kobblepot! Leave this glorious career when you are ready; we can all thrive under the camera as long as we now know that someone can be potentially watching. Be it as it may, do your job, no less, no more. I recently went to the movies and watched an old remake of RoboCop. As I sat there eating kernels of popcorn and raisinets, I realized this Hollywood movie is almost right on; technology has changed our profession forever. But I also realized technology has changed a lot more than just our professions. Acknowledge the changes: • Every sport has instant replay • Must suck being a terrorist--a drone strike can come while you are using the bathroom • E-Z pass • The eye in the sky just mailed you a ticket • Keurig coffee maker is the best! Agreeable or not with the times, the profession of the American lawmen has to be conducted by professional, smart, and conditioned artisans. The uncontrolled cavaliers need to drink less caffeine and utter “ooosa” more often. Like I mentioned, accept the changes, and watch your brother. God bless. Stay safe.
We realize that in this era of technological distinction it makes many old-timers To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
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interview
THE MEMBERSHIP COMES FIRST
Detective Mark Razzoli NJ State Presidential Candidate Fraternal Order of Police
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
By Dan Del Valle
To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
I
n an exclusive interview with Jersey City Detective Mark Razzoli, he reveals his discontentment with Chapter 78, the state’s pension system. Not only does he question the credibility of the unions, but he expresses his disappointment with the elected officials and their failure to uphold their financial obligations with the police retirement fund. Det. Razzoli’s campaign platform is “The union way all the time; the membership comes first.” As an FOP NJ State Presidential candidate, he believes he has what it takes to upgrade the State FOP to the next level. With 22 years of law enforcement experience, he aspires to band law enforcement officers together, increase the FOP membership, and aggressively resolve the health benefits and pension issues that continue to vex the law enforcement community. If elected President, Razzoli will pursue pension separation because he feels the PFRS is sustainable. NJBN: How long have you been a Detective with the Jersey City Police Department? Mark Razzoli: I’ve been a Detective in Jersey City for 10 years. Prior to that, I was a police officer with the Hudson County Police Department for two years. I’ve been on the job for 22 years. What made you go into law enforcement 22 years ago? I’ve always been around police officers. As a child growing up, I always wanted to be a cop. I had a cousin and a lot of family friends that were police officers. As a detective, have you worked on any high-profile cases? I have had the opportunity to work with some talented detectives. I have worked on every type of job including some high-profile cases. One of the cases that immediately comes to mind was a couple years ago—it was Montgomery Housing. We had a young girl who they shot straight in the back. Initially she had paralysis in her legs. Eventually, she ended up getting some use of her legs back. We solved that crime in short order; we made an arrest and got a confession. There’s a big election for the Fraternal Order of Police coming up in August. Why are you running for the presidency? I want to be the President because the current leadership has not aggressively defended the membership. It’s time to be proactive, not reactive. There is a problem when our current leadership tells the union membership that Senator Sweeny stands with us. Senator Sweeny is the author of Chapter 78, which is a failure. The membership is paying more, and Governor
Christie is not making the state’s obligated payments. When I am elected President, I will aggressively pursue pension separation so there will no longer be any issues concerning our pension sustainability. I know that many feel the union has failed with regards to Christie getting his way, but is it fair to say that they are not fighting for us? If you ask any member out there, the unions are being relatively quiet, up until recently. I was the first person to respond to the governor when he said was going to enact the full pension payment. We also haven’t heard anything from the current FOP president.
“The union way all the time; the membership comes first.” Speaking about the governor, what are your thoughts on Chris Christie? I think the governor is being unfair with the way he is treating us. I think we definitely need to have a millionaire’s tax. Our patches don’t say ‘Bank of America.’ It’s not our responsibility to finance political incompetence. His staff should be working on a solution to his budget, as opposed to creating gridlock. What are your thoughts on the governor’s budget reasoning? When Chapter 78 was created, the governor and Senator Sweeney were bragging that they solved the so-called pension issues. So now we get to the point where the
governor comes back and says that we need to give them more money. We’re making the pension payments right now—how much more can he possibly get from us? We’re paying ridiculous fees for our health benefits. No one knows what that payment is going to be at 35 percent because we don’t know what health care costs will be years from now. You see officers going into retirement that didn’t make the 20-year cut; they’re going to be paying 35 percent into retirement? That’s ridiculous! So, do you have any solutions for it? You have to start thinking outside the box a little to solve these problems; the governor can’t just keep coming to us. It’s not our job to continuously finance these issues. We need to have pension separation. If you were the head guy in charge, what would your tactics be to solve this problem? I would get an immediate meeting with Christie. The unions can’t continuously say that they are not going to talk to the governor. You must have some dialogue with the elected officials. You have to sit down with them. We need to get information from them, and they need to get information from us. That’s how we’ll resolve these issues. If we have no dialogue with them, the problems will not be resolved. Dealing with Chris Christie, he’s not pleasant sometimes. How would that affect your conversation with him? You still have to sit down with him, regardless if you dislike the person. You have to respect the position of the governor.
NJ Blue now | June /July 2014
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interview If you were the FOP president, what would you do different today? I would never endorse or financially support the author of Chapter 78. When you look at the New Jersey State FOP website, on the upper part of the page it has ‘Save Our Pensions.’ Then on the lower part, click on the endorsements—here you are endorsing people who are causing financial harm to our members. When someone goes to that page and sees that, you lose all credibility as a union. My number one job is to restore credibility to the union. What do you mean when you say FOP endorsements? They listed the names of the politicians, senators and assemblymen they’ve endorsed. They are exactly the people, like Senator Sweeney, who authored Chapter 78. Also, there is a list of people who voted and supported Chapter 78. Anyone can go to see the FOP Pact report. On April 15, 2013, Donald Norcross, who supported Chapter 78, received a donation of $750 dollars, along with Sheila Oliver and Van Drew, who both received a $500 dollar donation. Also, on May 3, 2013, Sheila Oliver received another $500 dollar donation. What do you think of people who just say that’s the cost of doing business; that we send out checks to all the politicians. What are your thoughts on that? As far as I’m concerned, the membership will always come first. I think you should never support any politician who supports Chapter 78. The reality is that it’s affected every member’s quality of life in a negative way. I think if you asked the membership now, I guarantee that a lot would tell you they have to work more side jobs to compensate for the loss of money due to health benefits costs and increased pension payments. Since you are running for FOP president, what makes you qualified for this position? We’ve been through it all under Mayor Healy. We dealt with the most anti-cop police administration in the city’s history. We stopped 82 police officers from being laid off. In the newspaper, we exposed the West District sewer-like working conditions along with OSHA complaints that resulted 16
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in the first police facility built since 1954. I feel like I definitely have the experience to take the FOP in the right direction.
That’s one of my main goals. I want to cultivate young talent, and I’m going to encourage that within the lodges.
That’s easier said than done. How would you actually accomplish this? First, you start with the internal things; something as simple as voting. We currently have by-laws where there aren’t any absentee ballots. We have lodges and I understand the lodges pay per capita. If you don’t attend the state convention, you can’t vote, and something as little as that could fracture a union. I think it’s time to give back to the membership. I would immediately change the by-laws to allow absentee ballots. I would also like to have a forensic accounting of the dues to see if it’s possible to lower the dues. A simple thing like that is how you start making unions solid again.
The FOP is a national organization. How would you try to make the FOP recruitment bigger? Recruitment wise, our national legal defense plan speaks for itself. It’s superior to any union legal plan in the state. I’ll definitely be encouraging recruitment.
What’s your objective as the FOP President? My number one objective is to aggressively defend the membership. With that being said, I want to state that we are a national organization. If the governor is going to continuously target us, it’s time to start using our national power. We could start following him around from state to state. Let’s say he goes to Iowa. We inform the taxpayers in Iowa what he’s all about and doing to public servants. At the end of the day, the pillars of the community are public safety and education. We maintain the tax base. Without a safe community, no one’s going to move there. All these politicians who pat themselves on the back seem to forget that. Do you have anything in mind for the FOP once you overcome some initial hurdles? Once the obvious things are addressed, the long-term efforts would be to resolve the health benefits and pension payments issues. I’d recruit more police departments into the FOP and incorporate the young talent within the FOP. I think the problem now is they try to suppress the younger members from getting involved in the important things and taking important positions in the FOP. We have so many talented young law enforcement officers on this job, college grads and IT people–it’s time to start using them to our advantage.
Since we also have a PBA, why do you think the FOP is not as big in New Jersey? The problem is you come on the job and you have the union represented in that town where the police are a part of; so officers generally don’t see the differences. You hear all this PBA vs. FOP stuff; it’s ridiculous! If I see an officer in trouble on the road, I don’t roll my window down and ask, “Hey, are you FOP or PBA?” You do your job; it’s all a brotherhood. Having not been a board member, what would be one of your weaknesses that could hurt you as FOP president? Changing the voting. Experience is very important. Should the average voter be weary of the fact that you have no board experience? When people want to question my experience, I’ve been through it all in Jersey City. We were facing layoffs and we attacked it. We actually prevented the layoffs. Once our by-laws broke down, we went into full protest mode. I spoke at council meetings, and I led the protest. If you Google my name, you’ll see me out there leading the protest. What would you say to someone who feels you don’t have enough experience? I’m experienced enough to know that you don’t endorse anyone who has hurt the membership. They can talk about their experience and their expertise, but at the end of the day, those endorsements are just self-serving endorsements. When I look at the list of endorsements and the checks that were given out to the PAC, there’s only one reason for those moves and that’s for To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
their own self gains, their own benefit. The politicians they’ve endorsed have not improved the quality of life of our members. What do you think is our biggest enemy in law enforcement? The leadership issue is our number one problem. I know what the FOP is. My opponent can taunt me all he wants to about his proven experience and leadership. If you’re such a leader, you should be dealing with your whole executive board. I know for a fact they don’t; they are a fractured executive board. Secondly, contrary to what my opponent is telling people, this isn’t a north Jersey vs. south Jersey election. This is a brotherhood. We’re all cops. I don’t care where you work; we’re all in this together. Police departments, sheriffs and corrections—I want to unify the shields. We need to stand together. We have to defend what we have left before they take it all. Is there a message you want to tell the readers, the officers today, about why they should vote for you? I’m about the union way all the time. Membership comes first because I’m a member. Titles don’t impress me; it’s what you do with that title and your actions. I guarantee you that none of my opponents can match my energy and my resolve. No one! I will immediately start aggressively defending my membership. I am about success. I have no ego. If I have to pick up the phone to get pension information from someone on the pension board, I have no problem doing
that. If I have to call an attorney involved in the COLA case, I have no problem with that. If someone asks me a question, I’m going to give them the answer. It may not be the answer they want to hear, but it’s going to be the truth. Who has been your support behind this team? I have the support of my Lodge and other lodges throughout the state. Since I have announced my candidacy, I have been contacted by other Lodges. They have expressed that they are not happy with the way the union has been conducting business. I appreciate that they gave me the opportunity to explain to them my ideas to move the FOP forward. For the person who wants to vote, what do they have to do? They have to go to the convention. They have to go through the executive board of the lodge. They submit a list of names of the people who are going to be the delegates and vote at the convention, and that’s where you cast your ballots. You have to pay the fees for the credentials to vote. Lastly, what made you reach out to NJ Blue Now magazine for an interview? Well obviously, I read your magazine; it’s everywhere. I want to get the message out to the membership that I’m the guy for the job and that my number one concern is being active, proactive and not reactive. That’s the problem with the FOP—it’s not a country club. It’s time that we start aggressively defending our membership.
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We Are that interesting! NJ Blue now | June /July 2014
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Famous Lawmen Famous Lawmen of America The Final Part of a Three Part Series
J. Edgar Hoover Director of the FBI 1924 - 1972
J. Edgar Hoover: Dedicated and Committed By Officer Eddie Molina
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f you have been a regular subscriber to NJ Blue Now, you already have had the opportunity to read the first two parts of the Famous Lawmen of America Series. It started with a close-up look at Wyatt Earp and his dealings living in and enforcing law in the Old Wild West. Known by some as a hero and others a vigilante, the legacy he left behind will remain a part of Americana as apple pie. Then we examined the life of Elliot Ness and his rival Al Capone. Known as a determined and unbreakable person, Elliot Ness, too had his weaknesses that many suspect played a role in his poor health during his latter years. Now we take an up-close and personal look at one of the most notable, criticized and arguably the most effective law enforcement official both America and the world has ever known--J. Edgar Hoover.
THE EARLY YEARS
As a child, Hoover was quite shy and had a stuttering problem. He overcame his speech issues by simply learning how to talk fast. This helped him during his teenage years when he belonged to various debate teams and stood out as one of the best in his class. He won most debates because he used his fast talking skills and deep knowledge to quote rarely known facts. Anyone who is interested in politics understands that debate is a major part of getting your 20
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message out to the public. His skills as a young adult played a pivotal role in his ability to convince people.
the American way of life by going after those responsible for threatening it. These assignments eventually lead to the controversial and historic Palmer Raids.
As a teen, he kept an indepth dairy detailing all of his thoughts, feelings and experiences. Hoover even started a neighborhood newspaper that relied heavily on rumors and gossip that he collected by various means, including eavesdropping. This set the stage for what was to come as he developed a gift of intelligence gathering/handling and knowing how to deliver his message.
During the Palmer Raids, occurring between 1919-1920, Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer tasked J. Edgar Hoover and his team to round up and deport notable Communist supporters following the First World War. The numbers arrested rounded into the thousands and over the course of the Palmer Raids, several hundred communist supporters, anarchists and revolutionaries were deported.
To help pay for his college education, Hoover landed a job (with the help of his uncle, a judge) at the Library of Congress as a clerk. There he developed a fascination and deeper understanding of the card catalog system. Anyone that was born prior to the internet/computer age remembers the card catalog system and how complex and tedious it was to keep accurate. Like the other youthful experiences previously mentioned, this, too aided in his ability to not only gather intelligence, but to properly record and maintain it as well.
Director of the FBI
After bouncing around with several government jobs, Hoover was assigned to head a new section within the Justice Department known as the General Intelligence Division. It was here that he applied his skills set that he acquired through years of unofficial practice and experience. His mission was to gather intelligence on domestic radical groups and extreme leftists thought to be a possible threat. Nothing satisfied him more than knowing he could play a direct role in preserving
Even though the Palmer Raids eventually ceased and fought against by several civil liberties groups, Hoover’s success in carrying out the raids lead him to greater success within the Justice Department. He was promoted to Director of the Bureau of Investigations. From there he set out to dramatically improve the Bureau from a small domestic operation to a world class intelligence gathering, handling and processing department. He was successful in transforming the department to an elite organization by improving training, hiring better qualified candidates and using the most up-to-date technology of the time. In 1935 Congress approved a bill changing his organization to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. From there he went on continuing to arrest high profile criminals and became a national hero. However, his glory days were short lived. His desire to monitor and spy on national figures he considered radicals and subversives, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., became overly aggressive and extreme itself. Many political figures even feared challenging his authority because they worried what information he collected on them. The card catalog and recording skills To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
YOUR TREATMENT ALTERNATIVE FOR SLEEP APNEA AND SNORING he learned in the Library of Congress helped him build a large database of both American threats and political figures. Hoover used any means to collect intelligence, including illegal wiretapping. He even had a reputation of not only collecting secret information, but of spreading false rumors to further his personal agenda. Martin Luther King Jr.
With the power he accrued as the Director of the FBI, no one dared to challenge him. His authority stretched through several layers of politics and even affected the media. Journalists wouldn’t write about him in fear of retribution.
HIS PERSONAL LIFE Clyde Tolson and J. Edgar Hoover
Hoover appointed Clyde Tolson as his Associate Director of the FBI in 1930 and remained as Hoover’s number two in command until 1972. Hoover and Tolson not only spent a long career as co-workers, but were commonly seen in public hanging out as friends. The inordinate amount of time they spent together led many to believe they were lovers themselves but that mystery still remains. They were seen together out at clubs, parties and even vacationed together. They are currently buried only yards away in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. Hoover stated that their relationship was that of brothers but many of his critics feel otherwise. Hoover has been known
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to have female friends of his own but no one female was ever considered a long-term relationship. His sexuality to this day remains a subject of conversation around political dinner tables. Depending on what side of the political stand one takes would likely determine whether that person believes Hoover was a committed American or a sexual deviant obsessed with power. On one end of the spectrum, he was a lying, homosexual bully that used illegal means to shift domestic policies and push his own agenda. On the other, he was a truly dedicated American who only cared about the well-being of the American way of life, both in the short term and long. The legacy he left behind is clouded in mystery and secrecy, just as it was when he was alive. But Hoover is credited for creating the FBI as we know it today. His ideas, concepts and philosophy helped develop many of the training and field tactics still in use. But like the rest of us, he was not perfect. He also showed the nation and the world that someone with too much power can easily tip the scales of justice towards a loss of certain freedoms. Because he spent over 40 years as the Director, Congress has now limited the position of Director to ten years. Regardless of what perception you hold about Hoover, his contributions cannot be overlooked. The FBI currently holds a favorable reputation of being elite, professional and just. However, their level of power and control is checked by multiple civil rights organizations. With all this, only one person is credited with building it all: J. Edgar Hoover. Writer Eddie Molina is an Officer with the NJ Department of Corrections and an Officer with the NJ Army National Guard. He specializes in Organizational Leadership and blogs about it at www. Leadlikeahero.com.
Are you sleeping alone again tonight?
snoring can have many causes, the most common being obstructive sleep apnea (osa). it is estimated that 70% of the people who snore loudly suffer from this condition. Obstructive sleep ApneA (OSA) is recognized as repeated episodes of cessation in breathing during sleep. This happens because our muscles relax during sleep and then gravity pulls the airway closed. Momentary suffocation develops producing excessive stress on the body. Some common signs of sleep apnea are excessive daytime sleepiness, loud or disruptive snoring, gasping or choking during sleep, depression and irritability. OSA can cause memory loss, headaches, irritability, depression, sexual dysfunction, and impaired concentration. Sufferers are at higher risk of stroke, heart attacks, congestive heart failure, hypertension, and are most likely to be involved in accidents at the workplace or while driving. They are twice as likely to die in their sleep. If left untreated, their life expectancy is 55. The good news is, there are solutions available, and the sooner you or a loved one takes the steps to get screened, tested and treated, the better the outcome. By taking action, patients’ sleep problems will be a nightmare of the past as they not only improve the restfulness and length of their sleep, but also their overall health and quality of life.
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up close
Walking THE CONSTITUTION By Lt. Joseph Pangaro (Ret.)
Have you ever actually read the Constitution of the United States of America?
Maybe you did back in high school as part of a civics lesson or American history course; hopefully most of us have taken the time as adults to get a copy of the defining document of our country and give it a read. At this point in our country’s history, there are many people who believe we are living in a “post Constitutional” America, a time when adherence to the Constitution by our government officials is optional; I won’t weigh in on that. What I would rather do is pose a few questions and let you decide. As part of the on-going examination of the crossroad times we live in, I ask myself what value do we hold in the Constitution, its meaning and principals, and if we still view it as the true roadmap of our society? Is it a living, breathing document meant to change with the times and societal attitudes, or is it a straightforward guideline to define the interactions between ourselves, our neighbors and our government? Is it even relevant in 2014? Should we hold a convention, open it up and update it based on events of the past 227 years and our new enlightenment on so many issues? Maybe we should add to the Bill of Rights or remove a few of the original ones; arguments are made for both sides all the time. Maybe we should just clearly define some terms and remove any ambiguity in wording.
These are the questions I pose to you--it is your Constitution after all.
If we take a few minutes to examine some of the huge societal quandaries we live with all the time, we can clearly see that clarification might help settle these never ending arguments. If we were to tighten up 22
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a few points that seem to be unclear or left to interpretation, we might be better off.
should define what’s permitted--it could cut down on the confusion.
As examples, let’s look at the First Amendment, specifically free speech. What exactly does that mean and what did our founding fathers think that meant? Do we really believe in free speech anymore, or do we believe in “the right kind” of free speech? Are we free to say whatever we want no matter how stupid, offensive or wrong it may be? Maybe we’re better off deciding what is okay to say, or think, for that matter. Some people do think wrong thoughts, don’t they?
Now let’s take a closer look at the Eighth Amendment “cruel and unusual punishment,” the crux of which is the death penalty argument. If we believe killing is bad, why do we allow the state to kill a citizen, even a convicted one? If we are a compassionate society, should we redefine this amendment? When someone rapes and kills a child, do we have a right, as a society, to take that person’s life for their crime or are we beyond that? Here in New Jersey, the courts and people have spoken, but still the argument goes on, doesn’t it?
The Second Amendment is another troublesome area. What the heck is a “well regulated militia” anyway? Does it mean as a citizen I can possess firearms and have a right to protect myself and my family, or does it mean a government-based group designed to protect all of us from trouble, under the control of the government? The Fourth Amendment is another area that seems like it would be settled by now. Can the police or other governmental agency search your private home, business or papers? We know the answer is yes, with a warrant or under certain well-defined exceptions. Why then do we have court cases on a regular basis that have to redefine what it means to be free with our private stuff--cell phones, computers and other electronic devices that hold our thoughts and plans, not to mention our emails and videos. The idea of the Fourth Amendment was based on the concept of keeping the king (government/police) from arbitrarily kicking in your door and gathering evidence he could use against you. We are allowed to have private thoughts and writings, aren’t we? But does it make a difference if our private thoughts and writings are not deemed to be “correct?” Maybe, depending on what you are thinking or writing, we
Once again, we are split on this. Some would argue that because, as a people, we so value life that when one of us takes another person’s life, especially an innocent life of a child, the punishment of death is an appropriate penalty specifically because we so value life. But what if the killer has a change of heart; shouldn’t we give that a great deal of weight? After all, if the killer goes to jail, finds a religious purpose to his life, accepts his actions and is sorry for it, does he still have to pay the penalty? Many people would say that the killer’s change of attitude and enlightenment is a wonderful thing to be applauded, admired and it should mitigate their punishment. Others would say when the murdered child can once again hug her mother, grow up and live a wonderful life, then we should consider the killer’s personal growth? Or maybe we can forgive as a society, but insist the penalty be paid just the same.
Part two is if we are going to access the penalty of death for a killer, what exactly is cruel and unusual punishment? To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
Some would say that taking the child’s killer and beating him with a bat, or allowing the family members to assist in the penalty phase would be cruel; it would certainly be unusual. The use of a drug that renders the condemned unconscious and unaware and results in his or her death, is that cruel? Doesn’t that happen by accident every day in operating rooms across the nation? Aren’t our young people overdosing and dying every day by taking a drug that does the same thing? Some people would say that taking a young child from her family, terrorizing her, raping, killing her and leaving her in a ditch is cruel. Some people would say a drug injection that puts one to sleep and causes death is not really cruel, even if the condemned breathes funny after unconsciousness--especially when compared to his or her crime and the victim’s suffering. Does the victim even matter?
For some people, the idea of any discomfort on the part of the killer is cruel and THEREFORE IMPERMISSIBLE, BUT IS IT?
Since the brutal crimes committed on the innocent happen all the time, doesn’t that mean those actions are not unusual. What then is unusual? What did our founding fathers mean? I think we could give this a minute of reflection. There was a time when electrocution, hanging or the firing squad was the prescribed way to execute someone, and it happened all the time. If it happens all the time, is it unusual? The wording in the amendment is cruel AND unusual. Is it okay if we do a procedure that is cruel but not unusual, like killing the killer the way he or she killed the victim? If we say that would be cruel, then how about if we dropped them out of an airplane. Certainly that would be unusual, but is it cruel? Well, I suppose he or she might be scared--not as scared as a young child being kidnapped and murdered--but scared just the same.
Clearly, we have some decisions to make as a people; times have changed.
This is where the argument is made for a “living, breathing,” read that evolving, Constitution comes from. How do we address the bigger changes in our world
based on a document that was written before indoor plumbing and electricity, the internet, cell phones and Netflix? The quandary we have before us is how we address the modern world with a document from another time. While I have made it a point to stay out of the arguments and simply posed the questions and cited the comments I have heard when discussing these topics, I will add my thoughts on this part of the dilemma. The founding fathers, as flawed as they were as men, were extraordinary in many other ways. I fear that we have lost our appreciation of their place in human history and the momentous changes they contributed to the world by envisioning this country and the principals our nation was founded on. Never before in the history of man has a group of people not only thought the things they did about freedom, liberty, and justice, but they put those things into practice. With the penning of the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers and ultimately the Constitution of the United States, they brought to life the most basic of human desires--freedom of spirit and self. Never before had it been declared that the “people” were the masters of their destiny and government was simply a tool to facilitate the individual. This was the unleashing of the soul of humanity that until that point was shackled by the darker side of our nature. It was these concepts, summoned from their collective minds, expressed in unity, in the transparent light of day, backed up by a blood sacrifice and brave determination that brought hope to the world for all mankind. This was a special and unprecedented event in human history. It is for that reason that we must not only revere the work they did, but we must rededicate ourselves to the principals of freedom and justice we were gifted with. The beauty and power of these ideals, as codified in the Constitution, are not commonplace. If they are allowed to recede from our lives and our conscience, they will
disappear, not to be seen, if ever again. The crossroads we have arrived at are becoming clearer with every day that passes. As we stand in these crossroads, we must make a choice on what direction we are to take. To stand still in this intersection of what was and what will be is to invite tragedy to our great nation. Just as important is which road we take, as each choice will have consequences we don’t know at this time. Every great journey is made with these decisions; in choosing our path we must combine many aspects of ourselves: our legacy, compassion, intelligence and humanity. We must look down the road to see where each possibility leads and make our judgments based on our shared principals, desires and our new enlightenment. To do less will spell disaster and the end of this great experiment. It is here we find ourselves in the year 2014. We have many choices to make, many of our beliefs to reconcile and many opinions to be included. Someday is a concept for theory no longer. The time has come, we are at the crossroads, and we must put aside petty differences, and choose a path. There is nothing else in the world like the United States Constitution, and there may never be anything like it in the future. There was a time when we were all headed in the same direction; we simply disagreed on how to get there. Today we seem lost, without any idea where to go. I suggest we read the Constitution and let the words speak to our hearts. If we listen and are blessed with wisdom, we may answer correctly. Lt. Joseph Pangaro retired after serving 27 years in law enforcement in a police department in Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pangaro is a graduate of the Certified Public Managers Program (CPM) through Fairleigh-Dickenson University and served 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 the CEO and President of Pangaro Management and Training and Management and Pangaro Global Training, an online training company. Contact Lt. Pangaro @ JPangaro194@yahoo.com. NJ Blue now | June /July 2014
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cover story
PBA PRESIDENT
Alexander Rosario, III
Sounds Off
Hudson County Corrections Local 109 By Dan Del Valle
PBA President Alexander Rosario, III, a Hudson County Corrections Officer, speaks candidly addressing his concerns about his administration, especially the safety of corrections officers and job performance regarding the use of inadequate equipment. In his interview with NJ Blue Now, he brings these issues to the forefront with the intention of bringing about much needed change and encourages his administration to be proactive in making the facility a better and more efficient place to work.
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
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NJ Blue Now: How long have you been a corrections officer? Alex Rosario: I’ve been employed with Hudson County Department of Corrections since August of 2001.
not be knowledgeable or qualified for the position. I opted to accept that challenge, not abandon my members, and since April 14th of this year, I became the new PBA President of Local 109.
What made you go into corrections? After I graduated from Hudson County Community College, my main objective and dream was to become a law enforcement officer, to serve and protect the community. Like most kids growing up, fighting crime and helping others always enticed me.
As PBA president, what are the biggest problems you see today that have not been resolved? I actually looked up ‘hostile working environment’ and it pretty much fits the description to what we are all going through right now. Furthermore, the nepotism and favoritism is at an all time high. A lot of officers that work in our facility seek future advancements, however, only the favored few are being afforded the opportunity to better themselves by issuing special training or being in any unit considered specialized. It’s definitely unfair and a morale buster to see officers high in seniority with Wednesday-Thursdays off, and then see a newer officer brought in, with less time, and given Friday-Saturdays off. This creates tension and frustration amongst our officers.
Before you became president of the PBA, what made you want to become a part of the Hudson County Board? I became the treasurer in early 2008. I served three terms at this respected position; my last term I ran unopposed. But, to answer the question, I really wanted to know where the finances were going. When the time presented itself, my name was thrown in the mix for treasurer, and I was fortunate to win the position. It was at this time I was able to find out where all the finances were going, what we were paying into, and how much we were bringing in every two weeks. In addition, keeping the membership abreast to our finances was always important to me. In six years, I was able to eliminate some unnecessary spending, and with time, we’ve almost doubled the amount of what we originally started with; which in turn, puts us in a better position, and gives us more room to handle other important objectives. Did you go straight from being a treasurer to PBA president? It was a culmination of things. The expresident was going through some personal stuff and chose to step down to attend to those issues. The former president’s departure came at a turning point in our jail because the FBI had raided the office of our Confidential Aid/Deputy Director Kirk Eady. There was a lot of stress put on the PBA who helped expose the retaliation, which appeared to be the motive. A couple months prior to nominations, the former president resigned, the vice president retired and that pretty much left me in the position to either step up to the plate to do what was right for the Local, or have them do a runoff and have someone elected who may
The notation of thinking its okay to be favored through the system as opposed to getting some time and experience under your belt and earning your way through the system needs to stop! This adds to the division amongst our officers and with management’s assistance, I’d like to incorporate a more fair and equitable process in how and where officers are assigned. It’s only fair that seniority should count for something. Management is not paying any mind to the officers that are actually in the building, working the units, and making the proper moves to assure the good and welfare of the officers and their needs are met. How would you describe the nepotism? The definition is pretty much self explanatory; it’s the practice amongst those in power or influence of favoring relatives or friends by giving them jobs, positions, details, etc. This was also exposed and documented referencing EDPDLAW. com editorials. To deter some of this, I wish all of the recruits who graduate from the academy and become officers are immediately placed in the housing units and not placed where they are not going to learn how to be a correctional officer. I have members who have been working the
units for five, ten, fifteen plus years who still don’t know how to work other areas within our facility. Some officers come in the door with an upper hand and only step foot in the housing units during their exposure training. Upon completion of their training, they are placed in areas where some officers wished they were afforded the opportunity to work and be properly cross-trained. Most often, officers are forgotten and left to work solely the housing units and have never been cross-trained; they don’t know anything except the stress of schlepping in and out of units every day with zero chance of advancement. I think it is very unfair and a horrible morale buster to have someone walk in the door and go straight to a position you hold in higher regard than the one you currently hold and know you will never get that opportunity. I am speaking of areas where they are not in direct contact with inmates, ability to go on details, special training, training unit, chance to interact with the public--I can go on all day. The law enforcement community knows what I am talking about. You signed up to be a corrections officer; if you’re scared, don’t let the door hit you on the way out. There should be some type of stipulation within our contract or in every correctional facility setting in my opinion, and the whole state should mandate all new hires to work a minimum of 4-5 years running a housing unit. Working the housing units and around the inmates gives this officer the ability to learn, so he/ she knows what is going on and he/she will know how to react in emergent situations. I am a firm believer those officers who work the building housing units become better officers in all areas. How many officers are in your Local today? Right now we have approximately 380 plus officers. Who controls the jail now? Director Oscar Aviles oversees the entire facility. However, it is unfair to place the blame solely on him. Authority is delegated through rank and all that can be done is hope each individual follows through with his or her job description fairly.
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cover story Is he aware of all your concerns and arguments that you have voiced? We’ve made him aware of our concerns as did our prior president. They say newer presidents try to firmly establish themselves in the beginning, for example, being aggressive too fast, or trying to tackle every issue at one time. I’d like to take this opportunity to say I am eager to tackle all these issues collectively together and in due time. Safety is number one on our priority list. I know first hand what it’s like to be left in the housing unit; I’ve worked these units for many years. I am a product of that officer who came from the housing units, and I see the officers doing the right things day in and day out with a limited amount of resources. I see a lot of officers who want a fair share and are eager to learn different areas of the facility. Most officers only get rotated within their units. We need more room for officers to grow and advance. Numerous complaints have been filed and documented since 2011 regarding the communications equipment that is in deplorable condition. You wouldn’t put a cop on the street and have that officer chase a suspect without a properly operating radio; it’s an essential tool for an officer to do the job effectively. You really can’t do your job if you can’t get in touch with anyone, especially dispatch, your immediate supervisor, or master control. We all want to go home every night; safety is important and should be priority number one, period. I’m sure everyone will agree with this. Also, most importantly, our jail operates on the inmate custody theory known as “direct supervision” where officers are literally locked in the units with the inmates. Under that theory of inmate custody, officer protection and clear and effective communication is a key ingredient. What has been his response to the letter you sent? I really haven’t gotten a response. We are willing and waiting to sit down with jail management in a professional manner and get to the nitty-gritty of our safety issues. Let’s develop a plan together. Let just do the right things for the right reasons. If we are ordering material or items that are nonessential, then let’s just put that on 26
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hold and order the tools and materials the officers need to get their job done effectively. Brand new cars and trucks look great from the outside looking in. The point is we need to work from the inside out. Unfortunately, what would happen is instead of being proactive, the department has become reactive; an officer is going to get severely injured or die one day inside these housing units. I don’t want to have to make that call to that officer’s family and tell them their loved one is dead. The importance of safety is vital. I couldn’t live with myself knowing these issues are present and we did nothing about it. When you said an officer can die, that is a serious allegation when it comes to officer safety. What is the reason why you made that statement? I’ll give you a couple of reasons. A correctional officer’s radio is used to transmit all communications and incidents. With that said, if you need to defend yourself, your hands need to be free to push away the danger and properly defend yourself. It’s difficult to push away the danger when you do not have a clip on your radio to mount to your belt or uniform. We are forced to put our radios in our pants or shirt pockets. It’s hard to listen to radio transmissions. That’s one reason. Note that some officers buy these items with their own money; for example, (belt clip and TAC mic) because they know it’s essential to help them perform their job better. We also have officers working outside details and whether they choose to wear a ballistic vest or not, a vest should be issued to all officers in case they are reassigned to any outside detail. Some officers took it upon themselves to purchase their own ballistic vests for a sense of safety in case something happens in the streets or outside details. Some of these inmates are high profile, some are not; complacency in our field of work can determine whether an officer is going home or not, a matter of life or death. Vests were issued to a select few, but the department has not issued ballistic vests to a large percentage of our officers. How old are the radios you have today? They are old, banged up and some not in working order. It’s documented that some radios are refurbished from storage areas.
I was told there were brand-new radios ordered; however, we have yet to see these radios reach the critical areas of the building. I commend some of our supervisors who made every effort to rectify this situation. As supervisors, they knew the importance of communication safety for staff, inmates and detainees. Since a complaint was filed and forwarded to me in 2011, we are still talking about the radios and the durable lifespan of the ‘refurbished’ batteries. If the department were to issue radios and vests, would that eliminate your issues as you see them today? That would eliminate a large chunk of the issues and be a great step forward. It’s important for us to address this issue and work together. Has the department acted on your concerns and needs? Right now, the only thing different they are doing is radio checks at the beginning of each tour of shift. What they fail to understand is that for every battery that is being charged and mounted to the back of our radios, the lifespan of the battery is deplorable, which still needs to be rectified. While they are doing radio checks, it may go through to Master/Central Control and we may hear the transmission and reply back loud and clear, but the fact is the battery is dying. Sometimes the batteries will usually indicate when the battery is low. It’s to the point where the batteries no longer give us the signals. A drastic incident is waiting to happen. We are concerned and want to be proactive when it comes to safety for both staff and inmates. If by any chance an officer is attacked and the radio is knocked out of his/her hands, we have a potential situation that may become very drastic. This officer must defend themself and fight for his/her life. This is a perfect example of how our officers need to be outfitted with proper equipment and back-up to help us succeed in our daily mission and alleviate a lot of the stress we have. You’ve made and documented your concerns about the radios, but what if the argument is that To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
there are no funds to update equipment because of the budget crisis? What is your rebuttal to that response? Let’s break this down, safety and security should be the first priority. This should supersede all. We have an obligation to maintain safety and security. We have an obligation to the officers that are there, the inmates and to the citizens of Hudson County. Without functional radios and other necessary emergency response equipment, we can’t do that. This priority should be taken care of in the beginning of the fiscal year and proper communication with the union and feedback from the officers should be acknowledged and taken into serious consideration. Lastly, when it comes to budgets and financial ability, I’d also like to mention that our county brings in tens of thousands of dollars a year through contracts to house the inmates from other state, county and federal agencies. If the county is accepting this money from these outside agencies, they should provide all necessary services and equipment. I would venture to say that money may not be a problem, but possibly the money isn’t being allocated to where it’s really needed. Who received your reports to answer your concerns? In 2011, several reports were generated and were forwarded to Deputy Director Eady. This individual no longer works with our department. He was investigated and indicted by the FBI. Is the deputy director who was indicted still working in the facility today? We would like to move forward and not bring up the past, however he was able to keep his position after the FBI raided his office. In our department, if an officer commits an infraction either at work or off duty, nine times out of ten depending who you are, you are suspended, fined, or excessively brought up on charges without any progressive discipline. We are pretty much guilty until proven innocent, whereas some departments would show leniency and will put you on some type of desk duty until your charges are finalized. Then, if you are
found guilty, you are suspended. As of right now, we have officers that are suspended without pay waiting for their charges to be cleared or dismissed. Now, once they are cleared of their charges, in-house charges are issued at the next hearing date. Whereas we’ve had others commit severe infractions and still held their positions. What happened to the Deputy Director Eady? He had his office raided by the FBI. They confiscated most of the stuff in his office and a couple of days later he was able to keep his job. He resumed his normal functions. He came in every day for approximately ten months. The federal charges against him at the time were unknown until the indictment came down, that included charges for wiretapping a lot of our executive board members’ conversations, his retaliation against our union, and abusing the authority of his position. After the indictment, he turned himself in to the FBI. So, Eady wiretapped conversations? Yes. If you go to www.edplaw.com (Kirk Eady) a lot of the information, as well as the nepotism that has been going on in Hudson County, has been publicized there, and a lot of what we say as far as retaliation—whether directly or indirectly—this is a form of harassment that we have to deal with. You have a lot of officers who are terrified to speak or respectfully speak their minds on valid discussions. The demoralizing atmosphere makes it hostile. Some supervisors and/or management might take it as a form of being insubordinate. Some use a post as a means of punishment knowing this cannot be grieved. We encourage all to work together so we can and will do better. Has the director made any efforts to communicate with the PBA regarding his second-incommand being corrupt? To my knowledge, no he has not. I have yet to see any documentation or formal apology as to what one of his subordinates did to our membership. Our newly appointed Deputy Director appears to be doing a great job thus far. We need fairness and working together is beneficial to all parties involved. Right now you have Director
Aviles. Do you find him competent as a director? Who do you hold accountable for the lack of understanding of officer security and prioritizing? All of the problems that are going on in the facility are under the Director’s watch. He may not be directly responsible for everything, but in the end he is responsible for running the department. Do you find your officers are in danger today? Absolutely, and they will be until someone remembers where they came from and the dangers of our job. Sometimes the troops matter more then politics and my members are waiting for a leader who believes that. You have made the administration aware that they could change things. What is your objective on this issue? As PBA president of this Local, I am at a loss for words. I feel like I am compelled to express all these concerns for all officers, their safety and the safety of all the citizens in Hudson County. It just appears that the administration is brushing this off as if we’re just complaining about minor infractions, but we are not. This has been a big concern for a long time. Moving forward, I believe that I’ve acted in good faith and have given our jail administration ample time to address our issues and to police ourselves; but if we have to, we may utilize other alternatives. We may need to bring the issues to regulatory oversight agencies like the State DOC and the State DOC Division of County Services to intervene and investigate our entire jail operation. I also think It may be necessary to bring all agencies who we contract with, such as ICE, to the table in an effort to ensure that we are given the resources and equipment to protect not only our officers, but the federal, state, ICE, and county inmates who we have been entrusted with and in return for the money that these outside agencies give us to protect their inmates. We also may need to bring the County Executive, Freeholders, and County Counsel to the table as well to make them fully aware of our jail’s current inadequacies. It would be my hope that the Freeholders themselves will conduct their own investigation and allow me an opportunity to speak to them NJ Blue now | June /July 2014
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cover story “I will do my best, leading by example and always willing to fight for the greater good and welfare for all officers.”
in executive session so that we can discuss sensitive security issues and to possibly bring them on a jail tour to point out the exact deficiencies. There is no replacement for an opportunity for our elected officials to have a bird’s eye view of how the jail truly operates as opposed to a slanted version that they may have been given by others. Quite frankly, if things don’t improve we may need to explore outside media attention. If officers remain in danger and our jail administration refuses to act, these are the extremes that I am willing to go and as PBA president entrusted with our members’ welfare and would be legally entitled to do so. Do you think that inmate safety is at risk because of these infractions? Yes, especially for the reasons I previously discussed with you. Our members’ safety is not negotiable. We deserve better resources to do our job— 28
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that’s not asking for much! What is your solution responding to an administrator who says there is no money to update your equipment? I would like to obtain a copy of the fiscal year’s budget expenses to see what their necessities and priorities were. Have you seen items that were unnecessary purchases that could have been used to purchase the vests and radios? Yes, purchases of new vehicles and vans. You’ve mentioned harassment in your department. Is that from the administration to the officers? Yes, as well as (some) supervisors. This too is a major issue which I strongly suggest our elected officials address before we may have to make formal complaints to investigative agencies.
Since you are outspoken in this interview about the issues with your administration, do you think this will help get answers? I’m hoping so. We are optimistic that we could sit down, collectively, to iron out the priorities of the jail, officers’ safety, what needs to be done, to respect the language of what’s agreed upon by both parties, and to put it in writing—and not just get politically correct answers. We can tackle the issues addressed, make the environment safer, and reap the benefits of working together. However, officer safety and facility security are non-negotiable issues. What would you say to the officers in your union that feel you are handling this the wrong way, that you should be less outspoken because you are going to upset your administration?
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I hope they don’t take this interview as a negative stab. The officers that are working there should be thankful that somebody is actually taking a bold step in bringing these issues to light. It’s my job as PBA president and the entire executive board to speak out on behalf of our members. I believe my agenda will be well received by those in the majority who only ask for fair, safe and equitable treatment. Do you ever doubt yourself since you are new to the job, that perhaps you are misjudging these issues? In reality, when it comes to safety, I don’t think I am misjudging anything. I have written numerous reports regarding the batteries and the radios. I have worked these units my whole career. When you have an abundance of officers addressing the same issues from different areas of the facility, it becomes an issue, which cannot be ignored.
What will your wife and kids think when they read this interview? My wife is a corrections officer as well. So, she and I can relate to some of the stress issues we encounter on a daily basis. She was my main supporter and urged me to run. She gave me the green light and I never looked back. She understands the demands of the position and I have her full support. My children are older, 14, 13, and an 11year old, and they are ecstatic. They’ll read this and hopefully aspire to be the same, to help others, and never be afraid to take on new challenges in life. What is your strongest quality? That I am straightforward; when you ask me a question, my response might not be what you wanted to hear, however, you will get my honest opinion. What is your weakest quality? I am a sucker for brownies--I’ve come to
grips with this. I am addicted to brownies. When it’s all said and done, what would you like to be remembered for? I would like to be remembered for being one of the best PBA presidents this Local has ever had. I will do my best, leading by example and always willing to fight for the greater good and welfare for all officers. What do you think about NJ Blue Now magazine? I read the magazine faithfully every month, and I see my officers reading it, too. I enjoy the information and articles. The information can be used, cut out and pasted on a wall, that’s how vital some of the information is. You keep doing what you are doing. Sooner or later, it will hit home to a lot of people that this is more than just a magazine.
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“I’ve been told my whole life that maybe that day will become a reality.” ~Sergeant Daniel Meehan
SERGEANT DANIEL MEEHAN Speaks From His Heart By Dan Del Valle
F
ollowing in his father’s footsteps, Daniel Meehan knew he wanted to become an officer. He pursued his career to be a part of the corrections profession. He moved up the ranks to Sergeant becoming very active in law enforcement, and as a member of the SORT Team with the Passaic County Sheriff ’s Department, his job became more hands-on. Training for the Special Olympics Snow Bowl, Meehan’s health took a dramatic turn for the worse. He began to experience symptoms that prompted him to seek medical attention. With his health hanging in the balance, Meehan had to do what he had been running from his whole life. In February of 2013, Meehan accepted his prognosis of needing open heart surgery. Up-close and personal, Meehan spoke with NJ Blue Now about his surgery, recovery and new life.
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From Good, to Bad, to Worse
Meehan was born with a bicuspid aortic valve, but he didn’t allow it to affect his life. With a promotion and new marriage, everything seemed good. One day while training with a fellow officer from his department, the hidden symptoms of his heart problem began to surface. “I started to not feel like myself,” Meehan said. “I had lack of energy, shortness of breath, and I could actually feel my blood pressure going up. I felt like my body was overworking itself.” Feeling ill, Meehan confided in his teammate that he needed to get medically checked out. After going to the doctors, Meehan went through a series of tests. In two weeks, he went from training for an upcoming event to being told he needed a valve replacement. Meehan warned, “There are no symptoms of it until it is too late. You don’t feel like anything is wrong with you. I don’t want to say that it can happen to you, but you really don’t expect it to become reality.”
Facing a Valve Replacement
Meehan described, “The aorta is the largest artery that comes out at the top of your heart and directs blood to the rest of the body.” Meehan stated that the doctor explained the danger of an aneurism and possibly his aorta could be on the verge of bursting.
met before that had undergone the same kind of procedure, that put his mind at ease. The caller gave him the survival and recovery rates. “He was a lifesaver, and he answered every question. If it wasn’t for him, it would have been a very hard three weeks until I finally had the surgery,” Meehan said.
family. He could no longer fight away the tears. “I broke down,” confessed Meehan, “My family was all there, and also a couple of friends and my in-laws; they are trying to be strong. They had this look on their faces, and you see them fighting it and that was almost worse. That was probably the hardest thing in my life.”
Putting Things in Order
Meehan remembered being upset but then his emotions caused him to go into “fight mode.” The anesthesiologist asked him if he wanted to go through with the surgery and Meehan replied, “Let’s friggin do it,” and she looked at me and said, ‘That’s what the hell I’m talking about.’” After hearing those words, he was ready to face the surgery.
With only three weeks to the surgery, Meehan had to address a number of priorities. He visited long lost friends and relatives whom he had not seen for a while. When asked if he made a will, Meehan replied, “I never changed my beneficiary at work to my wife. Since I just got married, it was to my parents from when I started 14 years before. It was like all of a sudden it became a priority when it was always like whenever I get around to it.” Then Meehan faced yet another difficult conversation with his wife. “You’ve got to talk about the ‘just in case,’ Meehan said, “and I had to stay positive for her.” Preparing for the worse, Meehan made certain that his wife understood that if something were to happen during his procedure, he wanted her to move on with the rest of her life because her happiness was important to him.
The Day of the Surgery
Driving to the hospital, Meehan was overcome with emotion. While in the hospital room, he tried to stay strong for his
Post-Op
During the operation, they opened his whole chest cavity up, stopped his heart and put him on life support. After the 13hour surgery, Meehan regained a little consciousness after hearing the highlights of the Lakers-Celtic game on ESPN. “I remember I had thought if I didn’t make it, this is what hell is going to be like. I am going to have to watch the Lakers beat the Celtics over and over again,” Meehan joked. Meehan recalls feeling out of it and confused. He said he felt like he had lost a day of his life and didn’t know what was going on. The operation was a success; however, there were complications leading to severed vocal cords. Somehow the aneurism entangled with the vocal cords
“Mine had ballooned to 5.7 centimeters,” Meehan revealed. “The cardiologist pointed out the fact that Meehan’s aorta was at a dangerous level, which exceeded the normal level of 4 centimeters. Meehan continued, “Anything over 4.5 centimeters needed to have surgery, so mine was really far along.”
Emotional Preparation for the Surgery
Consequently, many thoughts began racing through his mind. His family, wife and friends seemed paramount to the anticipated surgery that could potentially end his life. Leaving the hospital, Meehan described it as the hardest drive home. He received a phone call from another officer, a patient of his doctor whom he had never NJ Blue now | June /July 2014
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feature story and got damaged. Meehan had no voice for three months and had to have corrective surgery for his larynx in the following months.
shocking became a badge of honor, and he was proud to show it as a sign that he had overcome and survived.
The Recovery Period
Gaining a new outlook on life, Meehan describes it as a life-changing experience. “You look at everything differently. You stop taking a lot of stuff for granted, and you stop taking people a lot for granted.”
For five days, Meehan recovered in the Intensive Care Unit followed by another three days in a different room for a total of eight hospital days. He said, “You walk into the hospital feeling fine and when you get out of bed for the first time, you can’t walk 12 feet without being out of breath— like you just ran a marathon. It’s like your cardiovascular system has to start from scratch again.” Meehan described the first night he was home as physically tiring. It would be six weeks before he would start to feel like himself again. While at home, his body went through a lot to repair itself. He felt his body had developed a high level for pain tolerance which enabled him to stop taking his pain medication. It would take four to five months for Meehan to fully recover. By June, he was back in the gym jogging, biking and doing other things. Meehan recalled, “I just started to have more energy better than I ever did.”
Dealing with the Physical Scars
Meehan recalled when his bandages were removed. “The first time I saw my scar with the bandages off was a shock,” Meehan stated. Although there were physical scars, Meehan’s emotional scars were being healed through the support of family, friends and co-workers. He received many well wishes from phone calls, text messages and Facebook posts. Meehan said, “When you go through something like that, something as little as somebody taking their time out of their day means a lot—the loyalty, you know.” Adjusting to the scar, Meehan’s friends would make jesters to lighten the mood of a serious operation. Meehan said lightheartedly, “A fellow Sergeant that I work with called me the Liberty Bell, but you got to laugh it off.” Meehan did exactly that. Accepting his new heart and rolling with the punches, what he and others viewed as
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A New Perspective
Meehan remembered a time he did take things for granted. One thing in particular was a friend of his that had passed away. “It was a horrible lesson to learn. I told myself that I would never take somebody for granted again.” He said he realized that tomorrow is not guaranteed to you and you should take every day as it comes to you. Before surgery, he used to go out of the way to change people’s opinions of him. Now he realizes that he is a lot less tolerant for things he did not have time for. Meehan stated, “I have my own life, my own family, great friends, and a great support system; if somebody doesn’t appreciate that or appreciate me, so be it. Life is too short and too much of a blessing to go wasting time on petty stuff like that.”
The What Ifs
One thing that did hit home for Meehan was the fact that if something were to happen, he may not be able to start a family or live out all his dreams. When asked if he would have passed away during surgery what he would want to be remembered for on that day, Meehan commented, “I would just want them to remember me as a guy that always stood up for the guys. I would like for them to remember the good things and more of my humorous side than any of the negative stuff.” In speaking if he had to do it all over again Meehan said, “I’m not afraid of it anymore. The anticipation was way worse than the result. Now I know what to expect and what I would do to overcome it.”
to use your benefits as much as possible because things that go undetected for years can cause death. “In my case,” Meehan added, “if not detected, it would have been the end of me and if that aneurism would have burst, it would have been lights out.” Furthermore, Meehan wants his brothers and sisters in blue to know that it is okay to allow yourself to become vulnerable sometimes. “Sometimes it is hard to talk to somebody and break down, but it is a necessary evil when you are going through something like this.”
Thanks and Acknowledgements
He gives special thanks to all the law enforcement officers who reached out to him during the surgery. Words could not convey how it helped Meehan recover. He also acknowledges the administration for their support and reminds them to not forget to reach out to their fellow officers. He said, “It’s just 30 seconds out of your day, but it means the world to people. It’s the kind of thing where you will get a guy like me who would never forget something like that.” Finally, Meehan thanked his family for their continued support, and to his wife he said, “I could never thank you enough for the support, and I couldn’t cope through it both mentally and physically without you.”
Future
As his final thoughts Meehan said, “My objective now is to reach the finish line at work. I still have a couple of professional goals that I had the day I walked into my job, and I am determined to achieve them.” Now that the worst is over, Meehan can focus on family planning and continuing his dreams of a fulfilled career. Since the operation, Meehan made a full recovery and the following year was able to participate at MetLife Stadium in the Special Olympics Snow Bowl Tournament.
Advice to Officers
Meehan gives advice concerning other law enforcement officers who may be facing the same health issue that he had experienced. “Don’t take your health for granted,” Meehan stated. His recommendation is
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special Olympics
New Jersey Summer Games
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The College of New Jersey May 30 - June 1, 2014
ew Jersey law enforcement officers volunteered their time, efforts and affections for our Special Olympics New Jersey athletes as they competed for their
medals in every game, every race and every event during the recent Summer Games, reinforcing what competition is meant to be and redefining the value and benefit of sports. Photo Credits: Donna Roman Hernandez
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remembrance Sponsored by
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Officer Joseph M. Navas
O
fficer Navas was a 16-year veteran with the Port Authority Police appointed on May 12, 1985. Prior to his appointment as a police officer, he worked for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey maintenance department. He always wanted to be a police officer and he loved his job. In January 1999, he joined the elite Emergency Services Unit Tactical Response Bureau. As a member of this elite team, he dangled from buildings and bridges, waded through floods in search of victims and rescued people trapped between trains and the platforms. Officer Navas was also training to be a deep-sea diver to help with underwater rescues. Throughout his career, Officer Navas received numerous Meritorious Police Duty Awards, citations and an Individual Valor Award for rescue operations during the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.
On September 11, 2001, he responded to the World Trade Center in the Emergency Service truck and after first responding to a reported cave-in on the B-4 level PATH platform, they headed to the towers for rescue operations. Officer Navas handed off an injured person to another officer and instructed him to bring the victim to Emergency Medical Services. Officer Navas and the ESU team continued towards Tower One and began rescue and evacuation of the upper floors.
children. He would go ice skating with his son Joey every Friday night and though exhausted from work, he always found time for his kids. He coached Little League baseball and ice hockey teams and was an avid Yankee, Ranger and Giants fan.
Officer Joe Navas, age 44, was born in the Bronx, New York and resided in Paramus with his wife, Karen and their three children, Jessica, 12, Joseph, 9, and Justin, 3. Navas was a handsome, easygoing, athletic man who passionately loved sports and enjoyed spending time with his family and playing ball with the kids in the backyard. He would play basketball alongside his children with two hoops, one was regulation size and the other was a shorter plastic version for his
If you would like to honor a brother or sister in BLUE who lost their life on the job or retired, please submit your story to: njbluenow@gmail.com
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
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technology
New HighTech Tool: NCIC Background Check with Cellphone Scan of an ID By Sebastian Thaler
Police need the ability to check the information on a suspect’s ID card quickly and efficiently. Now one company, Port Townsend, WA-based Intellicheck Mobilisa, has launched a smartphone app—made exclusively for law enforcement officers—that makes the task easier than ever before. The app, called Fugitive Finder, is now available in the Apple App Store for credentialed law enforcement officers for a $49 monthly subscription. Fugitive Finder is not available to the general public. The Fugitive Finder app allows law enforcement officers to use their iPhone to scan the barcode on a driver’s license or other government-issued ID card. The data is submitted to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a computerized index of criminal justice information—i.e. criminal record history information, fugitives, stolen properties, missing persons. It is available to federal, state, and local law enforcement and other criminal justice agencies and is operational 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The app is designed to especially benefit police who patrol on motorcycle, horse, bicycle or on foot, and at outdoor events such as festivals, concerts and marathons. It also allows car patrol officers to stay with suspects during traffic stops instead of walking back to their vehicle. The app can also look up license
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
plates with manual type-in. The Fugitive Finder app is username/ password protected and is available for law enforcement personnel only. The user presses the “Scan” button and points the smartphone’s camera at the ID’s barcode. The person’s information read from the barcode is submitted to NCIC for lookup. A “Results” icon at the bottom of the screen automatically updates when NCIC lookup results are available to review. The app displays an individual’s Department of Licensing photo if associated with a positive match to a query. In addition to NCIC lookup results, the information read from the ID is displayed showing the name of the cardholder and the state ID number of the card scanned. The barcode processing is done by Intellicheck Mobilisa’s patented ID Check verification software. Fugitive Finder is a smart tool that enhances a law enforcement officer’s abilities in several ways. First, it improves contact with occupants of vehicles pulled over for traffic violations by eliminating the need for the officer to walk back to one’s vehicle. Second, instantly scanning an ID instead of manual typing increases accurate positive matches to NCIC databases and the speed at which the officer gets this vital information. Third, vehicle occupants are never out of view while checking IDs. Fourth, using the smartphone app means
no heavy equipment is required on one’s belt. Finally, an officer may enter plate number for vehicle information. Jason Hollingsworth, Vice President of Law Enforcement at Intellicheck Mobilisa, said, “Thanks to the cooperation and feedback of state and local law enforcement agencies, we have had the opportunity to recognize and respond to the real-world needs, uses and applications of this tool. Fugitive Finder promises to improve the safety and efficiency of law enforcement personnel by giving them portable access to instant information. This allows them to be better informed in a variety of scenarios where they would normally have to rely on radio communications or would be without access to radios and data terminals altogether.” Dr. Nelson Ludlow Ph.D, President and CEO of Intellicheck Mobilisa, said, “We believe the Fugitive Finder app offers a significant advantage to law enforcement personnel who require the use of an ID verification device on the beat. The Fugitive Finder app offers a comparable level of functionality to the original version of Fugitive Finder for handheld readers, but since it is now available on smartphones, it can now be carried in the officer’s pocket.” Sebastian Thaler is a freelance science and technology writer based in New York City. To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
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blue events
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The Essex County Police Department held its annual reunion at the Cloverleaf Tavern in Caldwell that was attended by former members of the force and family members, a good time had by all reminiscing and celebrating a great police department and those who served in blue.
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blue events National Police Week
Photo Credits: Vincent J D’Amico
Arrival of the
Police Unity Tour
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A
nnually during National Police Week celebrations and ceremonies, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from departments throughout the United States and around the world, including the Police Unity Tour riders and survivor families and friends, converge on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. to participate in a number of planned events, especially the arrival of the Tour and the emotional Candlelight Vigil, which honors and remembers our nation’s law enforcement officers--our fallen blue heroes--that made the ultimate sacrifice.
ICE remembering their fallen members.
Dino DeVirgilio High 5’s a spectator welcoming him. Dino rode over 440 miles from NJ. He is a JJC state parole officer.
Secretary of DHS Jeh Johnson speaks to officers of ICE in a wreath laying ceremony.
Officers of MIT Police Department of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in DC to honor Officer Sean Collier. Sean was killed by one of the Boston marathon bombers.
Jenna Fernandes displays a sign and a T-shirt letting everyone know how proud she is of her Daddy.
Ending the tour was the roar of the hundreds of motorcycle cops who came as far as Los Angeles, CA.
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
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• Call us for individual sales, fundraisers, Union functions, company picnics, car and motorcycle shows, etc. • Powershades will donate 10% of all LEO sales to the Wounded Warrior Project. • Like us on Facebook “Powershades Sunglasses”.
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n May 22, 2014, the New Jersey Women in Law Enforcement celebrated the 10th Anniversary of their Annual Training and Leadership Conference held at the Rutgers University
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entertainment
y c a r T an g r o M
By Dan Lorenzo
Former SNL and 30 Rock star Tracy Morgan has been in the news a lot recently. Unfortunately, it’s been because of a tragic auto accident Tracy and his entourage were involved in on the way back to his New Jersey home after a comedy show in Delaware. A trucker who had allegedly gone 24 hours without sleep rear-ended the vehicle Tracy was in. At the time of this writing, Tracy was making progress in the hospital and removed from the critical list. The below interview took place prior to Tracy’s accident.
Tracy Morgan at New York City’s Union Square Barnes & Noble to discuss his 2009 book I Am the New Black. Author David Shankbone, http://blog.shankbone.org/images/
Dan Lorenzo: How is your new baby? Tracy Morgan: She’s sitting here on my bed right now. We’re just chilling. Are you still living in Jersey? Still living in Jersey. What made you settle down in Jersey after being raised in Bed Stuy? Hey man, I had to. I got tired of the hustle and bustle. I still got a lot of hustle left in me, but with the crowds and all that, I just wanted a quieter lifestyle. A decade of decadence and debauchery! A decade! I was just ready to move out to the burbs. It’s a great place to raise a family here, right? Yeah, this is it man and I just cleaner air. I wanted my daughter son to be raised better with their want my daughter’s mom to be in 48
wanted and my mom. I a better
NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
situation, you know? I’m glad to be here in New Jersey. All the best New Yorkers live in Jersey! When you do stand up are you improvising or do you have an exact set? No way man! I have a set that I worked on. You know, I have my writers that are with me and we all collaborate and that’s what’s going on. When I first got off 30 Rock, I was a bit vulgar on stage and some people didn’t like it. That’s because it was sort of what Bob Saggett went through and Redd Foxx. You know you do so much TV and think you’ve lost your “edge.” What you do then in standup is you become even edgier because you were confined and constricted and it’s TV world. Then when they go see you live, they expect that (your TV persona). Live stand up is something totally different. People get upset, but then I realized that I don’t have to be so vulgar live. I’m not as vulgar, but I’m still edgy.
It’s funny you say that. I consider myself a huge Tracy Morgan fan, but I never watched one episode of 30 Rock. When you get on stage there is nothing you could say that would offend me. When you’re on stage, it’s supposed to be a friggin joke, right? Yeah, but you know what it is? As long as I’m doing comedy in the spirit of those who came before me--there was Jackie Gleason, Richard Pryor, George Carlin or Sam Kinnison--all of those comedy gods-as long as I keep it in the spirit of comedy, people shouldn’t get offended because it’s in the spirit of comedy. I try not to have any hatred, but I’m doing comedy. There’s real life, too; my lady and me we argue and sometimes I can come off as mean spirited because I’m human. Sometimes we all say things that we don’t mean, and we all make mistakes, but I like to think when I’m on (Continued on page 50) To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
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entertainment
(Continued from page 48)
stage, it’s in the spirit of comedy. People are just really super sensitive now with this PC crap. We couldn’t have a show on TV like Archie Bunker any more which showed our bigotry and our racism. You can’t do that any more. People are too PC now. I agree, but if I was sitting with you at a Knicks game and you started ripping on white people, maybe I’d be a little offended, but if you were on stage as Tracy Morgan doing standup and you were ripping on white people, how could I be so stupid as to be offended by you? That’s social media. That’s what it is now. I don’t think the fans feel that way. I don’t think true comedy fans feel that way. Everybody wants to voice their opinion. Opinions are like buttholes--everybody’s got one, but now you can send your opinion out to the world. You can blog about it to the world. You can say mean things about people you don’t even know. When I’m on stage, that’s a character on stage. People now they don’t know the difference
between TV and live stand up. If I’m saying something about women, somebody gets on the computer and says I hate women. I’m being funny. I’m being accurate--this is how people are! It’s not necessarily how I feel, but as a stand up, that’s my job. I study attitude and behavior. People are PC. I don’t have a political bone in my body and I’m going to call it as I see it. This is the attitude and behavior that I see. Could George Carlin and Richard Pryor and all those great comedians make it today? I don’t think so. I don’t think they’d be able to evolve. They’d be like the dinosaur. They’d become extinct. This is the most important thing I’m going to ask you, so please think about my next question before you answer it. Like you, I’m an enormous Knicks fan. Are we ever going to win a championship in our lifetime, Tracy? This is what I tell people about the Knicks when they ask me in any capacity. I say, “We’re getting it together.” I’ve been waiting a long time, man! We’re going to get it together. I think we’re going to be contenders this year. Don’t sleep on us. They don’t like talking about us on ESPN or whatever; we got a good squad. We’ve got some experience and we’re setting our goals high this year. Tell me about your new show on FX. It’s funny; we’re going to have a good time with it. I can’t wait for people to see it. I’m so looking forward to Death Pact. It’s going to be dope. And you know what’s crazy is that I’m probably going to get married around that time of year to my wife that I love very much, my fiancé… I’ve already addressed her as
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NJ Blue now | June/ July 2014
my “wife.” She’s wonderful. I know there’s a separation between Tracy Morgan, the guy who lives in Bergen County, and the Tracy Morgan I hear on The Howard Stern Show. I can’t tell if you’re being serious when you tell Howard that you’ve never worn a condom. I never what? You’ve said on Howard that you never wear a condom because you want to have “thousands” of babies. (Laughs) That’s material man. That’s my alter ego, Chico Divine! One of my favorite characters ever on Saturday Night Live is Brian Fellows. Has Lorne Michaels ever spoke to you about making that into a full length movie? I don’t know if I would ever want to do that. I want to leave Brian Fellows on Saturday Night Live where he belongs. Let’s talk politics. How has President Obama done so far? Oh man, I don’t get into politics. I’m not into politics. That’s not my thing. So you won’t give me an opinion on Anthony Weiner? No man, maybe he was just trying to figure out how to work his phone. I don’t know. Tell me about your relationship with Tina Fey now that 30 Rock is over. We’re still friends, but Tina has her life and I have mine. I have a family and she has a family. We’re professionals. We don’t hang out together. This is my last question. I’m leaving to go play basketball in half an hour. Will you come join me and my boys? Absolutely not man. I got a new baby I’m hanging out with.
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to see if you qualify for treatment. Covered by Most insurance plans including Medicare.
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Awarded as New Jersey’s
Author & International Speaker
CALL today FOR A SAME-DAY CONSULTATION & in-office imaging study
Recipient of “America’s Top Physicians Award” M. T. Shahab, M.D.
Multidisciplinary Center. Photo shown depicts Dr. Ali Mazandarani, D.C.
“Dr. Maz has helped hundreds of individuals and their families, to live pain free and happy, for over a decade.” Why Not You.