NJ LUENOW Volume 5~ Issue 3
April 2014
New Jersey’s Independent Voice of Law Enforcement
www.NJbluenow.com This issue can be viewed online at: www.njblueNow.com
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feature story interview with
Rabbi Abe Friedman in remembrance
Officer Gregg John Froehner
Camelia M. Valdes
Passaic County Prosecutor
Seeking Justice
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NJ LUENOW Team
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contents
Editor-in-Chief Daniel Del Valle
48
Publisher Envisage Productions Managing Editor Donna Roman-Hernandez
46
Design Editor Dari Izhaky
24
Copy Editor Kelly-Ann Higgins Advertising Director John Welsh 201-881-5100
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Chief Product officer John Welsh writers Officer Fasil Khan Brad Schenerman, Esq. Matthew A. Peluso, Esq. John M. Paitakes, Ph.D Eddie Molina Lt. Joseph Pangaro (Ret.) Capt. Donna Roman Hernandez (Ret.) Daniel Del Valle Lernard Freeman Dan Lorenzo
Editor’s point of view
April Observances
6
National Child Abuse 28
WEBSITE/SUBSCRIPTIONS www.njbluenow.com
Save it for the Bedroom: 12
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 | April 2014
Please share and recycle this magazine.
Daniel Del Valle
health
8
roactive vs. Reactive: P Take Control of Your Life
Prevention Month Resources Available Online
National Autism Awareness Month
legal
feature story
Worker’s Compensation is 10
30 An interview with clergy
Not Just Accidents
Inappropriate Speech and Conduct Has No Place at Work
After the job
liaison, Law Enforcement Chaplain, Rabbi Abe Friedman
remembrance
36 Officer Gregg John Froehner
Practitioner to Academician: 14
police heroes
famous lawmen
giving back
An Interesting Transition
Famous Lawmen of America 18 Wyatt Earp: A Deeper Understanding of Pioneer Justice
awareness
20
Standing Your Ground
cover story Camelia M. Valdes 24
Passaic County Prosecutor Seeking Justice
EP Envisage Productions
40 Newark’s Finest 44 Two Retired Police Officers with “Heart” Share Story to Help Others
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46 Law Enforcement Officers and Their Canines
entertainment
48 Christian Serratos
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editor’s POINt of VIEW
I
t felt like we had the longest winter, but finally we are having some good weather. With springtime around the corner, we get to enjoy our families more and the fruits of our labor. I strongly encourage all of you to make time to enjoy this nice weather with your loved ones, away from work and away from the everyday stressors most of us face. Obviously, with the weather getting nicer, it also brings out more activity in every division of law enforcement, thereby increasing the odds of one of you getting hurt, and at times, making the ultimate sacrifice. As my good friend Officer Jay Martinez always says, “Stay alert.” It is with great sadness that we lost another brother in blue this year due to suicide. As annoying as it may be that I always mention officers should seek help, I really feel I should be doing this for all of those officers who have lost the battle and all who can still be saved. Somehow, we must figure out how to seek help without risking our job stability and/or be labeled or viewed in a negative way. In our profession, it will be naïve not to think that many of us do struggle with issues and do not seek help. It really is time to change that, not only for you, but also for your family and loved ones. This is why I don’t understand that negativity exists at times within our own. For what reason? To say we are brothers only because we share the same profession is starting to sound outdated to me. We are brothers and sisters not only because we share the same profession, but because we really care and look out for one another; and if that means bite your tongue before you speak negatively about one another, then do so. That is what a true family member or loved one would do—you should do it, too. I look forward and feel optimistic that we will unite more, we will be heard much more, and we will live longer and healthier lives; when our day comes, we will say I was blessed to belong to such a strong, united family. Thank you to all the officers who send me emails and words that really inspire me and help me bring more of our stories that are out there into our publication. We need more stories to be heard, we need more avenues of expression, and we need to know more about one another. Feel free to contact me in any way at anytime if the circumstance calls for it. I am here, this publication is here, and if you reach out more, you will find out many more people are out there for us. I want to congratulate the best editor in the world, Donna Roman Hernandez, on her 2014 Woman of the Year Award from the Italian American Police Society of New Jersey; it is a well deserved honor. This issue’s cover story is Camelia M. Valdes, the Prosecutor of Passaic County. Prosecutor Valdes is a fine example of a tough-minded but fair law enforcement official who is dedicated to government service, public safety and the needs of the Passaic County community. I thank Prosecutor Valdes for giving us the opportunity to learn about her and from her through this amazing interview. Till next time! Stay Healthy, Stay Strong, Stay Blue!
Congratulations
to Corporal Megna from Sussex County Sheriff ’s Department on the birth of his beautiful daughter, Antonia MayAnna Megna, born on March 28, 2014
Daniel Del Valle Editor Daniel@njbluenow.com
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NJ Blue now | April 2014
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health
Proactive vs. Reactive:
Take Control of Your Life By Officer Fasil Khan
O
ver the past few months, I have been reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey, and in this book, Covey talks about the difference between highly reactive people and those who are highly proactive. The difference being that those who are proactive plan for the unexpected, whereas the reactive types let life lead them from one experience to another, never preparing for or anticipating any of life’s unexpected challenges and conflicts. In my coaching practice, I often stress to my clients the importance of leading the course of their lives as opposed to just letting life lead them. There is an important distinction here that many people fail to recognize--allowing life to sweep you up and carry you through the day-to-day events causes a serious disconnect with your goals and dreams. When you allow yourself to just get pulled along by the events in your life without ever taking charge of those events, you are always reacting instead of proactively embracing life.
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NJ Blue now | April 2014
Living in reactive mode often causes people to fall into the victim role making it very difficult to make any progress in their lives. In order to move forward and achieve your goals you need to look to the future and plan for the future. See yourself living your dreams and taking the steps needed to get there. Reactive people tend to stay in the present, and never look beyond today. Living in the moment is wonderful, but in order to achieve your goals, you need to be able to envision them in the future. Then, you can make that future a reality in the present. Covey states in his book that the habits of proactive people make them more effective in life because they are planning instead of reacting. Some of these habits are:
• Th e ability to set goals and work towards achieving them • C reating opportunities, not waiting for them to come your way • T aking conscious control of your life • U nderstanding the choice you have in
• A pplying your own personal principles and core values in making decision • H aving imagination and creativity to explore possible alternatives • R ealizing you have independent will to choose your own unique response.
These habits empower you and allow you to feel totally in control of your life. Reacting to every event and issue becomes exhausting and will lead to emotion and physical burnout. Learning to be proactive takes time and patience, but if you can overcome your urge to react and instead proactively plan your life, you will be able to realize your goals far faster. Khan Coaching “Command Your Life, Lead Your Life, Lead Your Life to Get the Results You Want Out of Life.” www.KhanCoaching.com
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DO YOU HAVE TROUBLE BREATHING?
You may have a worker’s compensation claim.
Do you wheeze, cough? Have you developed lung cancer? Short of breath, chest pains, decreased appetite, night sweats, under rib pain, sudden weight loss, loss of voice? Do you work in a sick building? A building with asbestos, mold, dust‌ including and not limited to police departments, jails and prisons.
You may have a case against the asbestos companies.
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legal
WORKER’S COMPENSATION IS NOT JUST ACCIDENTS
N
ew Jersey Worker’s Compensation law recognizes that workers can suffer injuries from their employment even without specific accidents. This type of claim is called an occupational exposure. A worker who lifts boxes all day and wakes up with back pain may have suffered from the exposure to constant bending and lifting. A worker who spends all day at the keyboard may suffer occupational carpal tunnel syndrome. Someone who works all day in conditions of loud noise may suffer an occupational hearing loss.
By Brad Schenerman, Esq.
There are also occupational injuries suffered from exposure to noxious fumes, chemicals, dust, dirt or mold which may result in pulmonary injury. These may not be as dramatic as back pain, but they are nonetheless real. Persistent coughing, shortness of breath, difficulty in breathing, unusual fatigue or even constant nasal drip may all be symptoms of pulmonary injuries. Often these are ignored as just annoyances or even dismissed as lingering colds. If you work under conditions which expose you to dust or fumes or mold and have any of these symptoms, tell your doctor you believe they are related to your
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact my office. 1-888-394-BRAD
Magazine
njbluenow@gmail.com NJ Blue now | April 2014
Lastly, talk to a lawyer to see if your medical problems may be compensable. Often the only incentive for an employer to take corrective action is when it is faced with claims from the injured workers.
NJ LUENOW
If you would like to submit stories, pictures, or suggestions, send us an email at:
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work. If they persist, ask your employer or your union for protective actions such as respiratory gear or even increased cleaning. If you keep your complaints to yourself, without a record of your complaints, it is as if they don’t exist.
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t Law Offices of Brad Schenerman, our trial attorneys handle serious injury accident claims and wrongful death lawsuits in Essex County, Passaic County and throughout New Jersey. We represent accident victims, families, and workers in a wide range of personal injury litigation. To learn more about our law offices or to schedule a free initial consultation, call our New Jersey or New York brain injury lawyers.
Tel: 1-888-394-brad www.schenermanlaw.com We serve clients in a wide range of practice areas: • Car and truck accidents • Motorcycle Accidents • Fall-down injuries • Dangerous and defective products • Dog bites • Workplace injuries
Woman badly hurt by NJ Transit bus wins $7.85M in lawsuit settlement. A woman who had her left leg and right foot amputated after being run over by an NJ Transit bus in 2008 received $7.85 million in a settlement with the agency. The victim’s lawyer was Brad Schenerman.
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legal
SAVE IT FOR THE BEDROOM:
INAPPROPRIATE SPEECH AND CONDUCT HAS NO PLACE AT WORK By Matthew A. Peluso, Esq.
W
hen analyzing the persistence of sexual harassment in the workplace, I am reminded of two otherwise unrelated assertions: “We begin by coveting what we see every day” (Hannibal Lecter, in The Silence of the Lambs, 1991) and “power tends to corrupt” (Lord Acton, Letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton, 1887). Merely because an individual works with someone every day and is attracted to them doesn’t mean that those feelings are reciprocated. Also, supervisory authority over a fellow employee doesn’t justify or excuse unwanted sexual advances or inappropriate language and conduct in the workplace. Our country has been steadily moving toward an increasingly diverse workplace over the last 40 years and will continue to do so over the coming decades. Women, minorities and members of the LGBT community now constitute a large segment of the American workplace. In fact, in many professions, women now out-number men at work, with this trend almost certain to increase over the coming decades. Therefore, it is important that all American workers, regardless of their gender or sexual preference, understand, acknowledge and respect the current dynamics of appropriate conduct at work in order to recognize, avoid and prevent sexual harassment. Yet, over a decade into the 21st century, it is disturbing that sexual harassment continues to occur at an alarming rate in the American workplace. Despite decades of significant legislation and legal precedent at both the state and federal levels, extensive world-wide media attention, and easy access to harassment education and training, far too many American workers still fail, or refuse, to understand 12
NJ Blue now | April 2014
how their behavior can be considered sexual harassment by fellow employees. In addition, too many employers continue to ignore and tolerate sexual harassment in their workplaces, despite longstanding controlling federal and state law that clearly prohibits such conduct. Sexual harassment is generally described as “unwelcome verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature that is severe or pervasive and affects working conditions or creates a hostile work environment.” Sexual Harassment Charges EEOC & FEPAs Combined: FY 1997 – FY 2011 (December 2012). According to Equal Employment Opportunity Commission statistics, there were upwards of 200,000 sexual harassment cases filed with the Commission between 1997 and 2013. Of course, that number does not include cases filed directly in federal court under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, or the several hundred thousand state court harassment and discrimination cases filed throughout the country during that same time-period. The New Jersey Supreme Court has ruled that sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates both Title VII and the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination, N.J.S.A. 10:5-1, et seq. (the “LAD”). Lehman v. Toys R Us, Inc., 132 N.J. 587 (1993). In this state, sexual harassment that creates a hostile work environment is prohibited under the LAD. Erickson v. Marsh & McLennan Co., 117 N.J. 539 (1990). Like the other forms of prohibited discrimination under the LAD, any law enforcement agency that permits sexual harassment to occur is liable for compensatory and punitive damages to the victim.
Not surprisingly, the majority of sexual harassment claims are still filed by women against men. The EEOC has reported that in the 17-year period between 1997 and 2013, women filed over 80% of sexual harassment claims before the Commission. Most of these sexual harassment claims involve unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate touching of women by men at work. A related type of abuse known as “quid pro quo” sexual harassment also continues to exist in the American workplace. These types of claims involve adverse-employment retaliation and hostility directed toward the female victim for rejecting the sexual advances of a male supervisor or co-worker. However, sexual harassment claims brought by men is a concerning trend in the workplace. Such claims increased by over 6% between 1997 and 2013 to account for 17.3% of all sexual harassment claims filed as of 2013. These claims are primarily brought by men against female supervisors, but also include male-male claims of sexual harassment. With the increase of women employees in the workplace and in supervisory positions (especially in the public sector), female-male sexual harassment is, unfortunately, becoming a more common occurrence at work. Most federal and state discrimination laws, including our own LAD, are intentionally written to be “gender-neutral.” Therefore, men are protected against sexual harassment by women and others in the workplace under the same laws that protect women from similar conduct. With the increasing realization of gender-equality in the American workplace comes the equally important obligation of genderresponsibility by all employees. To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
Many sexual harassment and hostile work environment claims also arise from workplace romances gone bad. Hostility between the ex-partners often becomes toxic and contaminates the entire working environment, especially in smaller police departments. Although there is a long history of successful workplace relationships (statistics indicate that many people meet their future spouse at work), many such relationships (especially shortterm “hook-ups”) end up creating a hostile working environment for one or both parties to the relationship, as well as for other employees who involuntarily become collateral damage. Also, although many people have adopted hugging of non-family members as a means of social greeting and parting, it is often not appropriate in the workplace. This type of greeting can both intentionally and unintentionally lead to inappropriate physical contact between co-workers. A hand even innocently placed on an individual, or a comradely embrace of a co-worker, can be misinterpreted by the recipient as offensive or sexual in nature. Since it is never possible to fully know a coworker’s personal and private sensitivities to physical contact, or even their particular state-of-mind on a given day, the rule should be to avoid all hugging or touching of co-workers. In the case of former San Diego Mayor, Bob Filner, his allegedly friendly embraces of subordinates apparently had the opposite effect on his recipients, who referred to them as the “Filner Headlock.” Former Mayor Filner, who was forced to resign as Mayor, ended up being criminally charged for his conduct and ultimately pled guilty to felony false imprisonment and battery charges. In addition, the City of San Diego has settled one sexual harassment case brought by a Filner victim, paying $250,000 to a woman who worked for Filner as his communications director and claimed that he grabbed and made lewd remarks to her, such as asking to see her naked. The “no-touching” at work rule should also be applied in same-sex interactions as well. With the increasing number of openly gay and lesbian individuals in the American workplace, physical contact between same-sex employees can be as offensive
and sexually inappropriate, whether intentionally or inadvertently, as between male and female colleagues. Law enforcement officers perform a dangerous job, work long hours and deal with tremendous stress. For the most part, these factors create a positive, close and unique bond between law enforcement officers. Unfortunately, they can also be used as a pretext by sexually aggressive and abusive officers to verbally and physically assault, harass, humiliate and intimidate subordinate and fellow officers. I am currently representing law enforcement officers in this state who have been sexually abused and harassed at work by both higher-ranking and fellow officers through conduct that should only take place on the set of a pornographic film. Harkening back to the days when young female “secretaries” were openly sexually assaulted and chased around desks by their lecherous bosses, my clients confirm that sexual assaults, such as bottom-smacking and breast-groping, as well as patently lewd, and, in fact, disgusting, sexual conversation and comments, continue in many law enforcement agencies. As an attorney who represents victims of sexual harassment in law enforcement and who also counsels law enforcement agencies on ways to ensure a sexually nonhostile work environment, the best rule is to keep all physical contact (other than handshaking), and sexual speech (even alleged jokes) out of the station. Even though an officer may think that he/she is just being funny, complimentary or harmlessly flirtatious, the reality is that one person’s joke is another’s insult. Further, since sexual conduct and humor have nothing to do with a law enforcement officer’s job duties, they should leave such behavior in their bedrooms. Also, given their sworn duty to uphold the law and to protect citizens, law enforcement officers should never engage in workplace conduct that violates criminal or civil law. As law enforcement officers know, they are held to a higher standard of conduct then civilians. For law enforcement officers to arrest civilians for sexual assault and harassment only to engage in similar conduct back at the station with their co-
workers is the type of hypocrisy that doesn’t sit well with the public or juries. There is an old and crude expression about not performing a particular bodily function in the same area where one also eats. When it comes to sexual behavior and language in the workplace, the same logic should apply: Do it somewhere else. Matthew A. Peluso, Esq. is an attorney based in Princeton. He has over 20 years of experience in numerous types of complex litigation, including criminal, employment, insurance and business law. Mr. Peluso has successfully represented police officers in employment and contract disputes involving wrongful termination, failure to promote, race, gender and age discrimination, hostile work environment and whistle-blower actions. Mr. Peluso is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Law and George Washington University. He can be reached at: 609-306-2595. His e-mail address is: 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.
Advertise with us… It doesn’t cost… It pays. 201.881.5100
NJ Blue now | April 2014
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After the Job
Practitioner to Academician: An Interesting Transition By John M. Paitakes, Ph.D
A
significant number of criminal justice practioners will be retiring from public service and consider pursuing second careers teaching at the college level. I made this transition 18 years ago. I was a Probation Officer for the State of New Jersey attaining the position of Assistant Chief Probation Officer. This had been one of my first jobs out of college. I remained with this job for 29 years as I found it very interesting and challenging. I also joined Somerset County Probation at a time when the county and discipline were growing at a rapid pace. Criminal justice only began as a regular college discipline in the late 60s and early 70s. While working in Probation in the early 70s, the federal government funded a program called LEEP, the Law Enforcement Educational Program. There were millions of dollars available as grants for anyone working in the field of criminal justice for equipment, programs or further education. As a result of this funding, I was able to secure a masters degree. After securing my masters degree, I thought it may be interesting to teach at the college level in criminal justice. I secured an adjunct position at Raritan Valley Community College in Somerset County, New Jersey. I possessed some teaching experience as I had been a Drill Sergeant in the Army Reserves and had taught classes in the military. I had also been involved in teaching in our training unit at the Probation Department. I was an adjunct at the Community College for the remainder of my probation career from 1976-1996. As the years passed, I discovered that I enjoyed teaching somewhat more than my full-time position. I began thinking wouldn’t it be great if I could teach on a full- time basis?
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NJ Blue now | April 2014
During my tenure as a probation officer and several years after securing my masters degree, I began pursuing a Ph.D. I felt that armed with a doctorate, I would have a better opportunity to secure a fulltime teaching position, I retired from Probation in August of 1996 and began teaching full time at Seton Hall University that September. However, about two years prior to that, I began my employment search for a teaching position. Armed with a masters degree, a Ph.D. and 29 years of practical experience, I thought colleges and universities would be “beating a path to my door.” I sent out about 40 resumes to 2 and 4 year colleges and universities in about a 45 miles circumference to include New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I had two interviews and one job offer; Seton Hall University offered me a one year contract. Now, it was decision time; do I give up a secure civil service position for a tentative one year position? I took the offer at Seton Hall University and 18 years later I’m still there. Based upon my personal experience, my 18 years full time and over 35 years as an adjunct professor in teaching positions at Raritan Valley Community College, Rutgers University and Seton Hall University, I have some recommendations to share with those thinking about making the transition. I’ve also counseled and mentored a number of colleagues toward attaining teaching positions at the college level. In addition, I have presented lectures to interested police officers on numerous occasions at the Somerset County Police Academy. Below are some of the issues discussed at my lectures: 1. Begin with a “game plan” several years prior to retirement date
2. Pursue additional education and training 3. Network - join associations and organizations related to your discipline. Don’t just join; be active, take an office or join a committee. 4. Take advantage of every opportunity to teach or train; i.e., guest speaker at police academies, high schools, etc. 5. Attempt to begin teaching at a community college 6. Volunteer to serve on a criminal justice advisory board. If interested in further information or to schedule a lecture encompassing discussion of the 15 critical steps to follow in making this transition, you may contact Dr. John Paitakes at Pait@optonline.net or telephone. #908-722-7799. Dr. John Paitakes is a Professor of Criminal Justice in the Criminal Justice Program at Seton Hall University, South Orange, New Jersey, where he has taught for the past 18 years. Prior to this, he was a Probation Officer in Somerset County, New Jersey for 29 years where he attained the position of Assistant Chief Probation Officer. In addition, he also served on the New Jersey State Parole Board for six years being appointed by then Governor Christine Todd Whitman. He has been an Adjunct Professor at Raritan Valley Community College, Kean University, Rutgers University, and an Adjunct on Doctoral Committees at the Union Institute and University. He is also a certified Police Training Instructor.
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NJ Blue now | April 2014
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Famous Lawmen Famous Lawmen of America
Part 1 of a 3 Part Series
Wyatt Earp:
A Deeper Understanding of Pioneer Justice By Eddie Molina Wyatt Earp
A
merica is filled with rich history that is storied by decisive, important and radical events. And with every historic event are people behind it that played integral parts in creating the story that now fill our textbooks. Scientists, inventors, and doctors are among the typical people that embrace, design and create change that leaves a footprint in our culture. However, there is another field of historic individuals not usually discussed around the dinner table: law enforcers. They are not known for developing new gadgets, medicines or technology but rather are known for taking down people that wish to do the public great harm. Much like the comics, some law enforcers are faced with villains of epic proportions that would be too difficult for a regular civilian to handle. There is nothing quite as unique as the historical lawmen of America that are known for their bravery, courage and determination to take down some of America’s most notorious bad guys. I looked at some of America’s historic lawmen that are either known for taking down a famous criminal or for a lifelong commitment to law enforcement. Wyatt Earp is mostly known for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral, but the events that preceded and followed it lead to a far more interesting story. Wyatt wasn’t the typical person that searched for a simple and comfortable living. Much like his father, he was consumed with the idea of 18
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fame, fortune and adventure. After unsuccessfully trying to join his brothers in the Civil War as a Union soldier at the age of 13, he eventually left home for the West in search of work and opportunity. After spending several years of common work out West, he returned home to Illinois and settled on an average government job and met a woman whom he later married. But fate dealt him a poor hand and his wife was struck with Typhus and died, along with his unborn child. Tombstone in 1881 looking to the northwest
Feeling devastated and lost, he again headed out West in search of a new life. After several years of traveling around and working various jobs, he partnered up with his brother and opened a brothel. With the experience he built living in the Wild West, he took a part-time job as a lawman rounding up outlaws, which were pervasive at the time. Wyatt enjoyed the press that came along with rounding up outlaws but still felt unfulfilled. He and his brothers Morgan and Virgil later left Dodge City, Kansas for Tombstone, Arizona, a booming town known for its vast supply of silver. However, they never struck it big in
Tombstone and reluctantly returned to law enforcement. Their presence and experience was welcomed by the local authorities to counter the lawless culture of outlaw cowboy life in the West during the post- Civil War period. In an effort to hunt criminals, Wyatt struck a deal with a local rancher, Ike Clanton, known for doing business with outlaws. However, their partnership slowly fell apart due to Ike worrying that Wyatt would leak the details of their arrangement. This turned into resentment and Ike was regularly seen around town drunkenly declaring that he would kill one of the Earps. Fate then brought Ike and his crew of four outlaws and ran into Wyatt, his two brothers and Doc Holliday at the edge of town known as the O.K. Corral. There, America’s greatest gunfight featured a 30-second shootout that ended with two of Ike’s partners dead, one his brother and another partner injured; but Ike escaped. Meanwhile, Morgan, Virgil and Doc Holliday were all injured with Wyatt being the only one unscathed.
Virgil & Morgan Earp
Within the next five months, Ike orchestrated an attack that lead to the assassination of Morgan and the seriously injured Virgil, both Wyatt’s brothers. To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
By this time there was already much tension building between people who wished for a settled, tamed West and the cowboy outlaws that were known for their wild, lawless behavior. So Wyatt decided to take matters into his own hands and with vengeance in mind, Wyatt, Doc Holliday and a small posse of others headed for the frontiers and roamed the West in search of the dangerous outlaws that killed Morgan. They went on a killing spree that left countless outlaw cowboys dead. The news spread across the nation and Wyatt’s posse was both praised and condemned for directly taking on the West’s problematic wild outlaw reputation. Wyatt Earp’s aggressive strategy was and still is viewed by many as lawless and wild, much like the outlaws he so desperately sought. But as the West eventually began settling down, the Wild West reputation slowly faded away, too along with Wyatt Earp. He continued moving from one boomtown to another in hopes of making it big.
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Towards the last years of his life he became fascinated with Hollywood and their portrayal of the Wild West. One of his final attempts at fame and glory was to have a film chronicling his life, as he remembered it, so America would know what he had done in the West. Ironically, the fame and fortune he spent a lifetime trying to achieve eluded him until after his passing, when a film of him was produced and released in 1931, two years after his death. Since then, several documentaries, movies and television shows were produced that featured Wyatt Earp, his posse and his dealings in the Wild West. But one thing is certain; he left a footprint in American history books in the name of law enforcement during a period known to us as the Old Wild West. Even though he spent a lifetime of feeling unfulfilled, I am certain he would now be satisfied with the legacy he left behind. Regardless of his ‘eye for an eye’ strategy, it is important to understand that it took courage, ambition and a desire to serve the greater good to a level all law enforcers should strive to achieve.
Even though many of us believe one person in law enforcement can’t make a difference, the fact remains that one person can make a difference. In the next issue of NJ Blue Now, I continue with Part 2 of the 3 Part Series and take a look at Elliot Ness and his team, The Untouchables, as they enforce prohibition, but face an even bigger challenge-Al Capone. Also, I will reveal who is arguably the most famous and controversial lawman of American history for the 3rd and final part of the series. 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
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awareness
Standing Your Ground By Lt. Joseph Pangaro (Ret.)
T
he loss of a life, any life, is a matter for sadness. The loss of a young person’s life carries an even greater weight because it encompasses the loss of potential as well. When a young man from Florida lost his life last year, his family, friends and community grieved. Taken from them at 17 years old, they found a hole in their lives; an emptiness that could not be filled. This is the pain and sting of death. Our nation is caught up in a very important struggle, one that I pointed out several months ago when I wrote that I believed we were in the greatest era of turning points and change our nation has seen since the Civil War. Since I wrote that column, I have seen many instances of “fundamental change”--change that is beginning to look like a state of chaos. I don’t mean to confuse or blend issues here, but there is a natural rhythm to our existence. One event leads to another; another event spawns a reaction that incites more reaction. And before we realize it, time has moved on and the world has changed. Issues are connected as they raise questions and force us to reevaluate who we are and where we are headed. This has never been truer than now as it happens before our eyes on an almost daily basis. The death of Trayvon Martin and the ensuing political pressure to arrest the man who took his life and put him on trial is one of the things I see as a blatant example of the struggle we all face as citizens and individuals. 20
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The division we see in the people of our country over this tragedy clearly illustrates the boiling cauldron just below the surface. Our nation is split by what we all see as “the truth.” What we are all seeing is actually our version of reality based on our life experience. It is our own life experience that informs us and shapes our view. It is what allows us to take facts and twist them to meet our own needs; the truth is sometimes lost in the process. For many of us, it is the principle or theme of events we believe in so strongly and matters more than the truth. This is not how we will survive as a nation; this is how we will self destruct. One of the main problems with relying on our own experience to reveal the truth, instead of examining the facts calmly and thoroughly, is that we loath to change our belief system. We have too much invested in it, so we ignore the inconvenient, twist the obvious, talk over each other to make our point, and in many cases, deny that which everyone can plainly see. Like the Emperor with no clothes, we smile at ourselves in the mirror and admire the cloak of righteousness we have woven and wear for all to see, ignoring the fact that we are naked and alone. Race in America plays a very large role in how we all experience the world. In the Martin-Zimmerman case, these experiences are laid bare. Even in the face of the fact that the prosecution pursued a case that based on the evidence and Florida law does not appear to have been appropriate, we cannot agree on the basic facts of what happened. The reason for this, I believe, is due to our life experience.
As I listen to the pundits, the lawyers, the families, and everyone else that has talked about this case, they seem to be unable to agree on even the most basic elements of what happened, regardless of the evidence. Zimmerman, a resident of a community that suffered from recent criminal activity, joins a neighborhood watch to try and protect his neighborhood. He cruises the area looking for potential problems and calls them into the police. He has done this same thing on many other occasions. This is perfectly legal and is done all over the country to one degree or another. In most instances, we applaud those who try to give of their time and effort to the community. Had Zimmerman seen a person wanted for a serious crime, called it in and followed him so he could tell the police exactly where the person was, we would all speak admiringly of his actions. Would we say he was profiling anyone? Trayvon was simply walking through the area to his father’s house. There is no evidence that he did anything wrong; he had every right in the world to do what he was doing. It is from this point on that our life experience now begins to shape how we see the next part of the story. Why was there a confrontation? Why didn’t Trayvon call the police or his father and report that he was being followed by a stranger? Why didn’t he run away? Why did he end up beating Zimmerman? We may never know the specific answers to these questions; all we have is the evidence to make a conclusion from.
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Once Public Employees, Now Practicing Attorneys. Get to know who’s on your side. John D. Feeley, Esq. Sr. Partner
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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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awareness Why didn’t Zimmerman stay in his car as the police dispatcher told him to do? Why did he have a gun with him? Why did he have to shoot Trayvon? The simple answers are evident; a police dispatcher is not a police officer, they have no authority to order a citizen to do anything, and Zimmerman had every right to continue to monitor the activities of someone he believed was acting suspiciously. If this were not the case, the police would have charged him with ignoring a lawful order; they did not because the dispatchers cannot order anyone to do anything. The State of Florida has a much more lenient set of laws about a citizen’s right to possess and carry a weapon for self defense as well as a philosophy that the citizen does not have to leave himself at the mercy of a criminal. As to why he shot him, the rules of self defense are almost universal. The person who is being threatened has to be in fear that they may be killed or seriously injured. The facts of this case, based on physical evidence, are injuries to one person consistent with a beating; eye witnesses to the confrontation; and the sound recordings of the 911 call, all indicating that Trayvon was beating Zimmerman and Zimmerman said he thought he was going to die or be seriously injured. The law requires that a person believes he/she is going to be killed or suffer serious injury and it must be a reasonable belief, not simply a feeling. So, the question to ask is was it reasonable for Zimmerman to believe he was going to die or be seriously injured? I don’t know, however, have you ever been punched in the face so hard that your nose was broken, and then ended up on the ground being pummeled by another person? As a cop, I have been in some serious fights over the years. They are scary events with many things going through your head as you wrestle around. If you are on the losing end of the fight, it is a much more serious situation. These seem to be the basic set of facts. Even so, it still doesn’t seem to be right that a young man was killed based on a simple meeting of two people. That forces us to ask some uncomfortable questions about confrontations in general. If you feel you are not safe, call the police or go somewhere 22
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safe, even if that means running off--then do so. How many times do we read about road rage incidents where people annoyed by poor driving feel the need to confront everyone involved and someone ends up dead? It happens a lot. Perhaps we should be a little more in control of our emotions and reactions as it relates to teaching someone a lesson. In this day and age where people are so concerned about being disrespected and teaching someone a lesson for being so insolent, maybe we should consider that the person we are going to teach a lesson to may have a weapon on them, and they may use it on us. In the Zimmerman case, the jury compared the facts of the case to the law and found that in this instance he was justified in protecting himself by using deadly force. There are a million other ways this incident could have gone, if each person had done something differently, the outcome may have been completely different. The argument raging now among many is what are we allowed to do to protect ourselves when confronted with violence? The movement of the argument seems to be saying we must accept the victim status foisted on us by a criminal; that we should take the beating, give up our stuff, and endure whatever else they do to us without reacting because it would seem that striking back and injuring the criminal is a worse offense than what the criminal was doing to us. This seems completely out of sync with reality. Have we become a nation of sheep? Is it more proper to take the beating than to fight back? It would seem that if a criminal chose to attack us and we do fight back and get the upper hand and they get hurt, we are then subject to punishment for their injuries. This is another crossroads we must face as a people. In many states the people and the legislature have decided that law abiding citizens have every right to protect themselves and the criminal should beware. In other states, the people and the legislature have decided that its best if
the victim just allows the criminal to do whatever he/she chooses and then we can use the court system after the fact to protect ourselves. It’s an academic argument whichever side you take until you are confronted by a criminal who means you harm--then it becomes much more personal. Which side do you choose then? 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.
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ry o t s er
cov
Camelia M. Valdes
Passaic County Prosecutor
Seeking Justice By Captain Donna Roman Hernandez (Ret.)
H
istory was made in the State of New Jersey on May 16, 2009 when Governor Jon S. Corzine nominated Camelia M. Valdes as the Passaic County Prosecutor. When Ms. Valdes was confirmed by the Legislature, she became the first Latina county prosecutor in the State of New Jersey, the first woman prosecutor in Passaic County, and the first lead prosecutor of Dominican ancestry in the United States.
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Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes has dedicated her professional career to government service and public safety. I had the honor of interviewing Prosecutor Valdes, a tough-minded straight shooter who does not shy away from handling difficult cases and has no qualms about whatever decision she is going to make. Born to Dominican parents in the Bronx and raised in Newark, Valdes is a product of the Newark Public Schools, a graduate of Barringer High School. She earned her undergraduate degree in sociology from Seton Hall University in 1993, her law degree from Rutgers Law School-Newark in 1996 and her LL.M. in Trial Advocacy from Temple University in May 2001. Valdes served as Municipal Prosecutor in the City of Newark, a Deputy Attorney General in the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Newark. Her experience has ranged from investigating and prosecuting municipal offenses to complex federal crimes that included human trafficking, health care fraud, financial offenses, and violent crimes. Prior to joining the United States Attorney’s Office, she served as an Assistant Counsel to Governor Christine Todd Whitman and Acting Governor Donald T. DiFrancesco where she handled all aspects of criminal law. While at the Governor’s Office, two of her most notable accomplishments included working on the bills that created the New Jersey Drug Courts and the New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry.
a public service career, obviously it is not for the riches; it’s for the empowerment of communities, to give voice to those who are voiceless, and to be part of a system that delivers a service to people. My role of advocate and passion for criminal law came at an early age. I was raised in Newark and my parents still live in North Newark. Newark then, like now, had its fair share of issues about crime, drug and alcohol addiction, unemployment and all of the things that lead people to make choices, bad choices. I wanted to help make a better way for all those families that lived in my building, who were hard working people who just wanted to go to work and feed their children but who lived in the midst of crime. The love for my two girls, Isabela and Elsa, ages 9 and 7, and the impact this work has on families, on communities, and on safety gets me up every single day. People may have a distrust of the criminal justice system, do not understand it or are skeptical about it. Whenever anyone comes to my office or interacts with any members of my staff, I want them to come away with a better understanding and a greater comfort that we are here to serve them. Advocacy is a hallmark of anything and everything that I am involved in. I am fair, I’m measured and compassionate. I have defendants who are doing life sentences, and I can go to sleep with a clear conscience every night because I never took an unfair advantage of them. I worked to make sure that defendants understood that the choices they made led to the choices I
had to make as a Prosecutor. Sometimes people make mistakes and sometimes people are career criminals; you have to take defendants where they are and remember that although they may have committed a crime, that does not strip them of their humanity or rights, even if they are going to jail for the rest of their lives.”
REACHING HER GOALS
We talked about whether there were any gender and/or ethnicity obstacles that prevented her from reaching her career goals. “In my mind, I knew the reason I was going into the legal profession. I knew I would not be deterred, I may be delayed, but certainly not deterred from the goal. For me, my gender and ethnicity did not translate to me that I did not belong. I understood very clearly just from the messages I received in school that as a Latina woman, I should have been married at 18, maybe finish school or maybe not. That was others’ expectations for my life. I had other plans. I made up my mind that I was going to put others’ expectations of me to the side, including members of my family, and understood that sexism, racism and ageism were distractions; I was going to focus on my work. Regardless of how others may have felt when I was appointed, I understood that the public had not seen a 37 year old, Latina woman as a county prosecutor in this state and that was significant. When some first met me, certainly I experienced interesting stares and inappropriate comments at With Paterson Police Department
As the chief law enforcement official in Passaic County, Prosecutor Valdes is responsible for the management of approximately 185 office employees, a $19 million office budget and the oversight of 16 municipal police departments, the police departments of William Paterson and Montclair State Universities and the Passaic County Sheriff ’s Department.
PASSION FOR THE JOB
It is evident that advocacy is an integral part of who Prosecutor Valdes is and what she does and how committed she is to the community she serves. “You have to know that when you choose NJ Blue now | April 2014
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cover story the things that I’ve done. There are always stumbling blocks and growing pains. Women in law enforcement are treated differently than their male counterparts but, as women, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to focus on the work. And if you get difficult assignments, use that as an opportunity to learn and grow your skill set. My first legal job was as a Newark municipal prosecutor, I was hungry, and eager to try difficult cases because it’s in the difficulty where you grow. Earlier in my career, if there was a challenging case, I was getting it assigned to me because the expectation was that I wasn’t going to win it anyway. When I won it, the reward was that much more satisfying. I don’t try to compartmentalize myself. There is no separation from being a woman, a special needs mom, and having been raised in Newark, in this role. I am who I am. My perspective and all of my life experiences shape me as a prosecutor. I know that when I am here, I am dealing with facts, evidence and law--that’s the lawyer in me. But I’m also dealing with communities, with pain, with grief and with an opportunity to do better. All of the things I’ve experienced have served me well not only as a prosecutor but as a human being.”
those variables have to move towards the direction of obtaining justice in the best legal manner possible.” Press Conference with Prosecutor Valdes
TRAINING & PROMOTIONS
I mentioned to Prosecutor Valdes that her likeability, expertise and access are often praised by law enforcement officers, including her passion for raising awareness about autism and special needs education.
DAILY PREPARATION
“I want to make sure that people understand that I want to get the job done, to seek justice for victims, and to honor the work by ensuring that we proceed with the best case possible. My primary job, with the exception of managing this office, is to be a legal advisor to our municipalities. With large-scale initiatives, we do it in collaboration from the beginning, not the end. Every municipality in Passaic County has an assigned legal advisor assistant prosecutor accessible to them to ensure we are on the same page with the law, safety precautions and other operational issues.
“There are two things; personally, I prepare with prayer. It begins and ends with prayer. Professionally, I make sure that I am the most prepared person in the room; I sit and talk with assistant prosecutors, detectives, and the support staff and ask ‘what do we have here and where are we going with this investigation or case’?
Training is critical and I am very proud of that we make the annual mandatory domestic violence training and other trainings fresh and relevant. Every year the domestic violence training is different. This past year, with the support of POAC (Parents of Autistic Children) and our Local PBA 265, we added a block instruction on law enforcement encounters with autistic individuals. The autism community and the developmental disabilities community in New Jersey is growing exponentially.
I asked Prosecutor Valdes how she prepares every day to handle the arduous task of being the chief law enforcement official in Passaic County.
I am by no stretch a “hands off ” prosecutor; I’m in the weeds. When we are talking at a roundtable, ready to do a big initiative, I want to hear from the boots on the ground what are our facts and proofs, and most importantly, how do we manage the relationships we need to get it done. In law enforcement there is a structured hierarchy. You have to respect the titles, positions and experience, but at the end of the day, all of 26
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At some point, especially with high functioning individuals, like those who have Asperger Syndrome, there is a likelihood they will drive and may encounter a police officer. If a police officer has never had an experience with an autistic person, the stage may be set for things to go terribly wrong. Law enforcement needs to know and be trained in this area because when you are talking to an autistic person, they may
repeat back to you what you are saying, be non-responsive and behave differently than expected. I know this first hand because I am the proud mother of two beautiful autistic girls. When we implemented autism encounters with law enforcement as a block of instruction the feedback was tremendously positive. Likewise, I promote people in my office, like Passaic County Chief of Detectives Joseph Fulco, who are experienced and committed to this work and have the interpersonal skills needed to mentor and develop future generations. When I became prosecutor, I made the conscious decision that I was going to make promotions from within my office. When I am making those selections, I think about how this place would function and what will be the legacy of the office. We are constantly revisiting our methods and training our people to help them develop. Our partnership with the Passaic County Police Academy ensures that we are properly trained and train others in critical areas of law enforcement. In an effort to provide a wide range of experience and training to our investigative staff, we have detectives assigned to Paterson’s Ceasefire Unit, the Federal Bureau of Investigation/Joint Terrorism Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and Homeland Security Investigation. We work closely with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and the New Jersey State Police. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office is committed and dedicated to information sharing and the intelligence led policing model of the Corr-Stat Initiative with law enforcement in the Bergen, Passaic, Essex, Hudson, and Union Route 21 Corridor.”
EMBRACING DIVERSITY AND COLLABORATIONS
In 2012, Prosecutor Valdes was the first Latina county prosecutor in New Jersey to keynote the American Conference on Diversity, 12th Statewide Conference on Diversity Issues in Higher Education. During her keynote, Prosecutor Valdes said that a diverse group of people can offer greater perspectives and experiences than a group of individuals that are all alike, that diversity in the workplace benefits the community, and your background To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
contributes to how you see the world. I asked her how she embraces diversity and collaborations as the Passaic County Prosecutor. “We can’t do this work alone. It’s too big, it’s too much. We need to have community ‘buy in’ because we don’t want to have a situation where the only way a community knows how to behave is by having a police officer sitting outside their house. Law enforcement cannot control and regulate every single situation. We rely very heavily on our law enforcement partners and our community partners to explain to the community what we are doing, why we are doing it and why we need their help. Often, there is an underlying mistrust of law enforcement, but law enforcement plays a critical and pivotal role with community organizations because they need support, too, because they are encountering people who are vulnerable and victims who do not know how to access services. Our role is to bridge those gaps. By serving diverse populations, law enforcement serves itself. The more you understand about a group of people and their culture, the better the interaction and potential for partnership. My greatest hope is that we learn to embrace collaborations with other agencies. There is tremendous strength and creativity that comes when you bring law enforcement together. Personally, I could not have been prouder of the partnership between my office and the
With Acting Attorney General John Hoffman Fugitive Safe Surrender announcement.
Paterson and Newark Police Departments during the investigation of the homicide of Newark Detective Michael Morgan Jr. Our Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik and Passaic County municipalities worked together on the Paterson/Passaic Gun Buy Back Program, Fugitive Safe Surrender and many daily joint initiatives. The work of the Clifton, Wayne, Ringwood and West Milford Police Departments in raising awareness about heroin and prescription pill addiction are second to none. Our law enforcement partners, large and small, each contribute daily to the public safety and security of our residents.1 The dialogue between the Passaic County Chiefs of Police and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office is open and constant. Depending on the agency, there may be some artificial barriers. At times, there is a mistaken notion when working a case that it only affects one agency or community. For example, the escalating heroin problem in Passaic County and in the state is no longer a city issue; the suburbs are affected as well and help fuel the heroin trade. When the suburbs meet the cities, there is a potential recipe for dangerousness and for more instances of drug addiction. There is a need for honest conversations between law enforcement, communities and other stakeholders about what we are experiencing on the law enforcement side. I’m concerned with the sellers who live in Passaic County and the buyers coming in and out of the city of Paterson to sustain their addiction. But I also worry about
residents who are neither sellers nor buyers but who are trapped in the middle of a volatile heroin trade. We understand that when we work with any police department, it doesn’t matter who makes the arrest. What matters is the collaboration with our brothers and sisters in blue to get a matter investigated and prosecuted.”
MENTORS & INFLUENCES
“My parents have been my biggest influences. They gave me all the love and support I could stand as a young person. At a young age, my Dad instilled in me a monstrous work ethic; he never took a day off, never complained or begrudged his work, and he was so grateful that he was able to provide for his family. I had tremendous teachers and mentors that took an interest in me and who spoke possibility into my life and they saw something in me that they nurtured. For all the people that allowed me an opportunity to participate and to be present, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to because they opened the door for me. They were very clear that once I got in the door, it was going to be up to me to rise or fall on my own merit. But by then, I already had instilled tremendous core values, a sense of purpose and a sense of urgency. By paying their investment forward to others, I pass down the power of possibility.”
DEFINING SUCCESS
In October 2011, Hispanic Business Magazine named Prosecutor Valdes one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the United States, and in December 2011, Honorable Leonel Fernandez, President of the Dominican Republic, named her one of the 100 Most Influential Dominicans Living Abroad. I asked Prosecutor Valdes to define what success means to her. “Success for me is being able to serve and being able to do impactful work. Whether it’s a decision about who to arrest, who to search, how to give a victim a chance to participate in the process, or making policy decisions, my work has daily impact on lives, inside and outside of my office. Every day that we can make life a little better for somebody else is success to me. Being able to maintain a sense of purpose and humor, without becoming cynical about the things I have seen, allows me to know and hope that this work is noble, worthy and necessary. (Continued on bottom of page 28) NJ Blue now | April 2014
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April Observances
National Child Abuse Prevention Month Resources Available Online April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month. The theme for this year’s observance is “Making Meaningful Connections.” During the month of April and throughout the year, communities are encouraged to share their child abuse and neglect prevention awareness
strategies and activities and promote prevention across the country. In observance, the National Criminal Justice Reference Service has posted “Special Feature: Child Abuse,” a compilation of publications and resources on the prevalence, prevention, and responses to child abuse.
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Seeking Justice (Continued from page 27) I would say to all of your NJ Blue Now readers that whatever your law enforcement role is now and later, take pride in it, work on it, and believe in it. If you don’t or can’t believe in it any more, then pursue a different path because the issues facing law enforcement are heavy and complicated. Law enforcement challenges require our knowledge, intelligence, experience and the sheer will to overcome them. Be passionate about what you do and do the work. This work matters every day if you work to make it matter.” Prosector Camelia M. Valdes is a trailblazer who understands the needs of 28
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the community she serves. She and her well trained staff take the law breakers to task in Passaic County, prosecuting them and seeking justice using fairness, strong analytical skills, careful research and the collaborative partnerships with law enforcement departments and agencies. The Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office acknowledges and thanks the Bloomingdale, Clifton, Haledon, Hawthorne, Little Falls, Montclair State University, North Haledon, Passaic, Paterson, Pompton Lakes, Prospect Park, Ringwood, Totowa, Wanaque, Wayne, West Milford, William Paterson University, Woodland Park Police 1
Departments and the Passaic County Sheriff ’s Department for their support and partnership. Captain Donna Roman Hernandez (ret.) is the Managing Editor of NJ Blue Now Magazine and the host of Tough Justice live stream talk radio show every Saturday @ 5 p.m. at www.ddvradio.com and The Jersey Beat blog talk radio show at www.thejerseybeat.blogspot.com. Donna may be contacted by email at salsacop446@ hotmail.com or www.blueforcefilms.com. To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
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feature story Building bridges between law enforcement and the Jewish community An interview with clergy liaison, Law Enforcement Chaplain
Rabbi Abe Friedman By Daniel Del Valle
Rabbi Abe Friedman, at 38, has been serving as chaplain for law enforcement in New York and New Jersey for over 15 years for the federal, state and local levels. Serving as a clergy liaison, Rabbi Friedman works closely with public safety personnel in crisis intervention and management. As a community service leader, spiritual counselor and motivational speaker, Rabbi Friedman’s success comes deeply rooted from his Jewish family upbringing. Following the legacy of his father’s footsteps, he continues to bridge the gap between law enforcement and the community by improving relationships and helping police become more aware of the Jewish faithbased communities. Rabbi Friedman is not only an inspirational leader, but a man who works hard for the love and respect of the community and its leaders. Rabbi Friedman has also gained respect by so many members of law enforcement for his tireless effort in assisting them in may ways. NJ Blue Now: How are you involved in law enforcement Rabbi Friedman? Rabbi Friedman: I try to make law enforcement in NY and NJ more aware of the faith-based community, particularly in the Jewish faith, customs, requirements and the laws that can be helpful to make law enforcement understand how the community go by their lives, what they are allowed to do and what not to do in addition to teaching them a little sensibility training to build the community relations with the police. How are police perceived in the Jewish community? A police officer in the Jewish community is unfortunately looked upon as not favorable, and I will tell you the reason why. In the Holocaust years ago, the Nazi Germany and police officers assisted the regime to kill people and to kill the Jews. It is well known that they dragged them out of their houses and put them in the concentration camps and killed them. Now my job is tough explaining to the community and giving them the comfort level because it’s going back to years of having fear of the police— that they work with bad people. Has their mentality changed? We changed a lot. People in the community realized that law enforcement is vital to be able to express religious freedom, to go about their lives and pray, work and 30
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send their kids to school. Without law enforcement, we wouldn’t be able to do all of that. Do you receive any backlash from being involved with law enforcement? Absolutely, yes. The community sometimes feels I am too close to law enforcement and law enforcement feels they sometimes have a hard time understanding the community, or they get grievances from the community. There are some valid points on both sides. Most importantly, I focus on the positive: relationships, improvements, and showing the community how law enforcement is doing everything to protect faith-based community and religious institutions. It’s very important for us to go on with our lives and at the same time I do that with law enforcement. We come through in every way to show that the community is a loving community. The community is here not to give you a hard time but rather to help you out so you can do your thing and make your job easier. In New York, what are your titles when it comes to law enforcement? I’m a clergy liaison between the community and NYPD. I also serve as a Chaplain with law enforcement My duties are to make the NYPD aware of upcoming holidays and large events. When there is a crisis, dispatch is sent to the scene to
make sure law enforcement has a guy to do the investigation, or if there is any family or religious request, we make sure that it is handled professionally and that families of tragedies are comfortable with law enforcement. At the same time, law enforcement has the fullest cooperation from the family in the community. Why is it important to have a clergy liaison or police chaplain? We had riots here years ago under Mayor Dinkins in Brooklyn, NY, where we feel and believe that the tragedy happened, but the aftermath we feel is because of the lack of communication. There were no liaisons or leaders to step forward to try to help the people out. Instead, the streets were taken over by hoodlums and by people who did not care. The tensions were very, very high. That goes without saying, but when you lose control, you lose yourself and do things that you would not usually do. All of a sudden, you have a big riot on your hands. By having clergy liaisons, it is important when something like this happens, we go out in advance. We talk to leaders and people in the community. They trust and believe in us. They feel that we are someone who cares, and it goes beyond saying that it takes a lot to get that trust. As far as law enforcement, how are you connected with New Jersey? I’m a chaplain with the NJ State Police, To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
and I was appointed by the NJ State Chiefs Association by President Chief Paul Cell to be their chaplain for the entire state of NJ to basically build bridges. What’s the difference between NJ and NY? In NY, the population is more. They know the holidays, sensitive areas, institutions and how we operate. In NJ, they still lack that information, so we are doing that more and more at an official capacity. Can you describe a time when you and law enforcement had to work together to get a job done? Our most recent event was last year at MetLife Stadium where 90 thousand Orthodox Jews gathered to complete the Talmud. We spent hours, days, weeks and months training the troopers on what to expect and gave them sensitivity training, so they understood that night what to expect, how sensitive everybody will be, and how people want to get to a location at a certain time. We had a total success. Thousands of people arrived in a safe manner and cooperated with law enforcement. It was very important that leaders such as me and other chaplains were able to communicate and take a leading role to make sure this event goes successful, and that exactly happened. A lot of people who are not Jewish only know the Orthodox Jews from the way they dress. Then they see other people who say they are Jewish and don’t label them as one. Can you explain the difference? Let me tell you, but in a nutshell. There are modern Jews, Orthodox and ultraOrthodox Jews. Modern Jews like you said you cannot see the difference. They don’t wear a Yamaka or at least outside when they are not in synagogue, but they are Jewish like us. Orthodox or ultra-Orthodox are a little more conservative when it comes to certain laws. This is the way they grew up, and so their families go back for years, but when it comes to our core religion, we are all the same. We believe in the same thing. We pray the same, but in terms of looks, the ultra-Orthodox, of course, look differently and dress differently because that’s the way their grandparents used to dress in Europe.
So, no Jewish person looks down on another Jewish person because they are too modern? Absolutely not. The way we dress is basically something we keep as a tradition, but not when it comes to observing Jewish law; we are all the same. You had a role model, which is your father. How did he get into helping the community with law enforcement? My father used to live in upstate NY and he was a very well-respected person because of the deeds that he did. He started his role of helping people, Jewish and secular alike, by assisting them with volunteering for a local EMS, a volunteer ambulance group, where he took it upon himself to transport the sick and others to the hospital. He was a successful businessman, but at the same time he gave back to the community and society by helping people. Law enforcement, fortunately, liked him a lot. They trusted him. Thirty-five years ago, the population of the Jewish community was much less and at the same time there were a lot of obstacles and a few battles. God forbid there was a fatal accident! We have certain rules and religious rules that we need to follow, and if you don’t have the understanding and the connectivity, all of a sudden you have a big crisis on your hands. The family goes crazy for feeling that law enforcement doesn’t respect their religious rights and before you know it, you have frustration from the police precincts. So that was my father’s role of working with law enforcement and making them aware of what’s happening in the community. He had great success.
My late father, Rabbi and Chaplain Morton Friedman, who passed away 3 years ago after a short illness
How would people describe your father? People that knew him called him an angel because he was able to help people and, for the most part, the secular world respected him. How have you continued what he has started? When I grew up, I moved to the city after I got married. About 20 years ago, I started doing the same thing in NY and NJ. Unfortunately, I lost my father three years ago. He was 54 years old, and he suddenly passed away. That was a tragic loss for the community of NY, but I gave my father a promise on the last days of his life that I will
(L-R) US Congressman Hakeem Jeffries with Mayor DeBlasio surveying damaged area after Sandy
NJ Blue now | April 2014
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feature story continue his legacy and make him proud. I try to do that every day. That’s beautiful, Rabbi with what you are doing following your father’s legacy. Do you ever have days when it doesn’t make sense for you to dedicate your time and efforts? You know there are always days when you say to yourself why am I doing this? This is way too much to handle. It takes up so much time and it takes up your energy. To be honest with you, it’s not easy. Maybe it seems easy from the outside, but it’s not. What’s the worst part about being a community leader? I would say two issues in particular. When a tragedy happens, it’s very, very tough. Although I’ve been doing this for quite a while, it’s tough to face a family or give them bad news whether it is a family of the community or the family of law enforcement because your heart goes out for the family. That’s the worse part of this volunteer work. I would say there’s no greater pain than seeing a family mourn. The second thing that can sometimes make your life miserable is sometimes the animosity of the community. You can’t make all the community members happy. There’s no way. Everybody has a different way of looking at things and if everybody were happy with you, it means you didn’t do anything for the community because there is no way people shouldn’t criticize you. Do you have days when this job takes a toll on you? Sometimes I have my days when law enforcement gets letters or calls in regards to my leadership role and that takes a toll on you because you’re trying to do everything you can. You give up your family, business, time and energy to build bridges and sometimes you feel unappreciated. You sometimes feel that people are trying to undermine you or stop you from doing your work. But what keep me going are the positive results. So you do feel that we are moving forward with law enforcement and the community? Well, for the most part, there is still a lot to do. As usual, there are a lot of retirements 32
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every year and many heads of agencies have to start from scratch to get to know the person, and it takes time to build the trust. There was an incident where a Jewish child was murdered, I think, a couple of years ago. Where you involved in that at all? Absolutely. Besides losing my father, I think that was the worst thing here in the NY community and it touched everybody so deeply. When it comes to a little child being murdered and the way he was murdered, you’ll never be able to forget that day and that hour.
much as possible. Rabbi, at the end of the day, what is the vision for your work that will produce a beautiful outcome to you five years from now? I would ask everybody to love and understand one another. Live and let live. I feel if people would be a little more sensitive of others, although they might not understand or be on the same page, the world will be a better place to live. Chaplains, leaders and clergy would be able to enjoy a great relationship if there will be a little sensitivity and respect for each other. When you are finished with everything in life, what would you like to be remembered for? I would like people to know that I literally gave up my business, part of my family, time and energy to help people. My wish is that people should realize how much work, effort and energy goes into building bridges between law enforcement and the community, and they should not destroy it. One bad apple can destroy years of hard work and trust, and they should be careful before they do anything because it can have such a great effect on the communityat-large.
Were you happy with how law enforcement handled it, and how did you convey that to the community? In terms of relationships and how law enforcement handled it, sadly it was a very bad few days, but I can tell you the cooperation was unbelievable. The moment the child was missing to, unfortunately, finding the body parts, to the burial, law enforcement were in touch with leaders. They were willing to learn. We had two thousand volunteers sign-up for 24 hours to look for camera footage and physically look in properties for the little child. They could have said, hey let us do our job and we’ll let you know what we find about the little child, but that wasn’t the case. We respectfully waited, and we had great cooperation when the investigation was over. So, I thank law enforcement, their leadership for opening the door to me and making sure they accommodated us as
What advice would you give your kids when they read this one day? Treat others like you want to be treated. If I go out and tell someone ‘good morning’ with a smile, or I ask them how can I help you or offer them a coffee at work, it doesn’t have to be something of a big magnitude, but you can make someone else feel like a million dollars every day. When you come home to your family, you want to be an example to your kids. When you deal with people, be respectful and, for the most part, people would treat you back in the same way. Your wife will read this interview. Is there anything you would like to tell her? I would like to thank her for all those nights and days and hours that I spend outside, and the support you have given me all these years so I can help the community, it should make you feel good that people have a better life because of the efforts that I am trying to do. To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
feature story With other nationalities or religious denominations, what would you tell them about community service and with what you are doing? We are doing this together. It doesn’t matter what your religion is. Should it be a reverend, a priest, a mosque, a church or synagogue, we want one thing: People should be able to express their religious freedom, be able to live in peace according to their religion, but at the same time, we are brothers, partners and we are friends. What do you think about the new mayor and the new commissioner? The new mayor is an old friend of the Jewish community. In fact, he was a council member in Boro Park where the largest Jewish population is. He was very sensitive going back for years to the community. We believe in him. I feel he is going to make an excellent mayor. Not only does he have great leadership skills, but he has an unbelievable way of understanding the community—more down to earth than the previous mayor. I believe he is going to be a success. In terms of Commissioner Bratton, I was at his swearing-in ceremony last week and was invited by NYPD. He did a brilliant speech, and 80 percent of his speech is how he is going to focus on not only going to be the greatest police force in the world, but they should be the most loved in the world. It’s important that the persons on the street not only respect the officer for being tough but understand that the officer is a fine human being and here to do his job with sensitivity to their religion or human rights. What would you tell the law enforcement officers of today? I would say that the community is a loving community who is known to have an organization that can help people. They have a food bank, medicine, clothes and assist people with scholarships. It’s not only our community but every community can get help from this community. We are the only religious faith on the holiest day of the week, which is the Sabbath, on Saturday that has a certain prayer that is dedicated to law enforcement. We pray upon an open bible when we read the Torah. We do this every week on Sabbath. We pray for law enforcement safety and that should show you how much we care for you. We know 34
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you risk your life every day for us, and you should understand that we want your success. We ask you to please respect faith, religion and have a good relationship going forward. Biography Born in New York, Rabbi Abe Friedman was raised in a culture of community service. His father, Rabbi Morton Friedman, was a chaplain for law enforcement for thirty five years and an integral part of four different sheriff ’s departments. After his father’s passing in March 2010, Rabbi Friedman was determined to honor his father’s memory by continuing his legacy. Just thirty eight years old, Rabbi Friedman has been making his mark as a chaplain for well over fifteen years using his affiliations within the Jewish and other faith-based communities to assist law enforcement in cultural competency training, inter-agency planning and coordination and as a community outreach coordinator. With both a Bachelors degree in Communications and a Masters in Biblical Studies, Rabbi Friedman has had tremendous success combining these two areas of expertise as a motivational speaker, a spiritual advisor and specializes in community crisis intervention and management. Rabbi Friedman has been serving as a chaplain to New York and New Jersey law enforcement on the local, state and federal levels. He has counseled many officers, troopers and spiritual agents over the years, offering both spiritual guidance and consulting support.
instrumental in providing clothing and other necessities to the many victims who literally lost everything during Hurricane Sandy. Additionally, Rabbi Friedman has been the owner of the Brooklyn based All Care Management Services since 2002, directing a team of over seventy employees who manage a group of condominium, co-op and commercial real-estate properties throughout New York and New Jersey. Since its inception, All Care Management Services holdings have grown from just two hundred units to over two thousand units. A devoted father of five, Rabbi Friedman has been recognized for his extraordinary efforts during his long and distinguished career in law enforcement and community service and has been the recipient of the NYPD/DEA Appreciation Award in 1998, American Red Cross 9/11 Leadership Award in 2001, New York State Senate Civilian of the Year Award in 2005, United States Marine Corp Award of Excellence in 2007 and the Putnam County Sheriff ’s Office Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. Rabbi Friedman is also a 2011 graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy School. Rabbi Friedman has been married to his wife Pearl for 17 years and has four sons, Louis, Shloimy, Hershy and Morton and a daughter, Rachel. My father, Rabbi Morton, saying a prayer for NY State Troopers at a Troopers funeral that were killed in the line of duty
In the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks, Rabbi Friedman spent countless hours counseling and assisting hundreds of NYPD officers as they dealt with the horrors of death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. Rabbi Friedman also devoted months to providing emotional and spiritual support to many bereaved law enforcement families as they grieved their loved ones who were killed in the attacks. Rabbi Friedman has many years of experience in crisis management, most recently dealing with the aftereffects of Hurricane Sandy, personally visiting hundreds of law enforcement officers on all levels who were devastated by the catastrophic storm. While Rabbi Friedman was available, as always, to offer support and spiritual guidance, he was To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
NJ Blue now | April 2014
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remembrance Sponsored by
Officer Gregg John Froehner
repeatedly saved lives. Throughout his career, he extricated a man trapped under tons of metal at the Lincoln Tunnel and numerous people from motor vehicles. He also used his skills to rescue people trapped in an elevator and during a building collapse in Jersey City. In 1995, Officer Froehner completed a counterterrorism course in toxic and biological agents. He was good with his hands and was adept at repairing equipment in the field using whatever was available.
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fficer Gregg Froehner was a 21-year veteran and appointed to the Port Authority Police on April 7, 1980. He was the recipient of numerous police and meritorious citations and received the Group Valor Award for his rescue work during the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. As a member of the elite PATH Emergency Services Unit, he
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in Hackensack, New Jersey. During his childhood, Officer Froehner joined the Boy Scouts of America and achieved the highest and most coveted rank of Eagle Scout. He resided in Chester, New Jersey with his wife, Mary, his children Meghan, Heather, Kathleen and Matthew. He coached Little League and while residing in Wayne, New Jersey, he was a volunteer with the Preakness Fire Department. He also served as police dispatcher for the Wayne Police Department. He was a family man and loved his children above all else. Officer Froehner was fun-loving and easy going. He liked to play golf and to spend time with his family.
Officer Froehner was assigned to Emergency Service Unit at PATH on September 11, 2001 and immediately responded to the World Trade Center and commenced rescue operations. The ESU team checked the PATH platforms then proceeded back up to PATH Square and started to ascend the stairs in Tower One. As they climbed, they evacuated each floor and while doing so, the building collapsed and killed Officer Froehner. Gregg John Froehner, age 46, was born
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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POLICE HEROES
newark’s finest O
n Wednesday, March 26, 2014, Mayor Luis A. Quintana, Police Director Sheilah A. Coley, and Police Chief Ivonne Roman honored Newark Police Officers Al Costeira and Joe Rebelo yesterday for their efforts to save a 10-year-old Newark boy from a vicious pit bull terrier attack on February 12, by presenting them
with proclamations in a private City Hall in a blood-covered apartment. The officers ceremony yesterday. shot the dogs and rendered first aid to the boy, while summoning emergency medical On February 12, Officers Costeira and technicians. He was so badly injured that Rebelo responded to a call of an unattended he had no pulse at one point, and had to be 10-year-old boy being attacked by his resuscitated by the EMTs. Fortunately, the father’s two pit bull terriers. The two officers boy recovered. arrived to find the dogs mauling the boy Photo credits: Officer Amir Shabazz, Newark Police Department
Mayor Quintana greets Officer Rebelo and his family. From left, back row: Police Director Coley, Officer Rebelo, Officer Rebelo’s wife Olga Rebelo, Chief Roman, and Mayor Quintana. Front row are the Rebelos’ triplet sons, from left: Brandon, Connor, and Matthew Rebelo.
Mayor Quintana congratulates the two heroes. From left: Officer Rebelo, Mayor Quintana, and Officer Costeira.
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The Portuguese-American Police Association (P.A.P.A.) leadership commends the two officers on their courage. From left, P.A.P.A. President Jose Barras, Treasurer Carlos Silva, Officer Rebelo, Officer Costeira, Officer Costeira’s brother and fellow Newark police officer, Michael Costeira, and P.A.P.A. Second Vice President Billy Correia.
Mayor Quintana greets Officer Costeira and his family. From left, back row: Police Director Coley, Officer Costeira, Officer Costeira’s wife Maria Costeira, their son Tyler Costeira, Chief Roman, Officer Costeira’s brother and fellow Newark police officer, Michael Costeira, and Mayor Quintana. Holding the proclamation is the Costeiras’ youngest son, Matthew.
Director Coley congratulates the two heroes. From left, Officer Costeira, Director Coley, and Officer Rebelo.
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giving back Two Retired Police Officers with “Heart”
Share Story to Help Others
Story contributed by Lernard Freeman, Communications Correspondent for NJ Sharing Network.
W
hen doctors told retired East Orange police officer Steven Sims that he needed a heart transplant, he was fearful and refused to consider the option. At just 53, he knew he was terribly sick. His heart functioned so poorly at one point, he developed a condition which brought about hallucinations. But he wasn’t ready to accept that he needed a transplant. Then a group of heart transplant recipients called the “Hearty Hearts” visited him at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark. “Some were young and some were old. If they did not tell me they were all heart recipients, I would not have known,” said Sims, who is 64 and lives in Irvington. “It changed my thinking.” Sims received his donated heart on March 2, 2005, and since then he has shared his story to support others waiting for hearts as well as to educate people about the lifesaving value of organ and tissue donation. At his side frequently is another retired police officer and heart transplant recipient, Russ Jackson. Jackson was an officer in Harrison, Hudson County.
The two volunteer with NJ Sharing Network, the non-profit organization responsible for recovering organs and tissue in New Jersey, and speak to high school students to educate them about the life-saving benefits of organ donation. They also educate police officers assigned to schools, and volunteer with the “Hearty Hearts” at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center to help others waiting for a transplant or recovering from transplant surgery.
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Both said their volunteer work is a way to honor the generosity of their donors and to give thanks for their second chance at life. Jackson received his heart in December, 2010. “Talking to others who also received heart transplants helped me a lot. Five months after my surgery I started to volunteer to speak to both pre- and postoperative patients,” he said. “I speak on behalf of NJ Sharing Network at health fairs, and I speak to nursing school students. Just telling my story educates people about organ donation.”
Honoring Donors
Both Sims and Jackson are thankful for the opportunity to meet the families of their donors, and to express their gratitude. For Sims, the chance to meet took several years. He and his family drove to the New Jersey home of the family of his donor, who died in an automobile accident at the age of 24. Sims recalled that both he and his donor were Yankee fans and both played soccer. “We met and had such a beautiful time with his family, and we enjoyed each other so much. We’ve kept in touch,” Sims said. He said his donor’s mother had baked pastries, and the two families enjoyed a barbecue together and took pictures. Sims met his donor’s extended family of aunts and uncles, as well as his donor’s brother. “The mother listened to her son’s heart in my chest. We were treated like family. It was beautiful,” he recalled. Jackson tells an equally poignant story. Jackson, now 65 and living in Lyndhurst, remembers the nurse waking him up in the hospital at 2 a.m. to say, “Mr. Jackson, we have a heart for you.”
Photo Caption: Russ Jackson (left) Steven Sims (right), two retired police officers who both received heart transplants, share their story to help others. Pictured here with Sherri Shepherd at a NJ Sharing Network event.
The heart belonged to a 44-year-old college professor, John Kalb, who received his PhD in biology from Cornell University and taught at Canisius College in Buffalo. He died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Jackson said his donor’s generosity also meant lungs for two recipients in Boston, and a kidney for a patient in Buffalo and another in Michigan. His liver was divided to benefit two patients, including a one-year-old baby. He also donated bone and tissue. “He is a true hero. He has helped more than 60 people,” Jackson said. A meeting arranged by NJ Sharing Network allowed him to thank his donor’s family. They all met at a Freehold restaurant, including his donor’s aunts and uncles from upstate New York. It’s become a yearly event. Jackson jokes that he suddenly had a hankering for a glass of milk with his turkey dinner one Thanksgiving, and learned his donor routinely drank milk with his Thanksgiving turkey. It’s just an odd coincidence he recalls that connects him to his donor.
First Responders Giving Back
Sims and Jackson say their history as police officers has instilled a sense of community and service that now prompts them to support NJ Sharing Network’s mission
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to save and enhance lives through organ and tissue donation. They both attended events to honor slain Jersey City police officer Marc DiNardo, who was killed in the line of duty in July, 2009. His wife, Mary DiNardo, generously donated his organs to save others. An event at Liberty State Park honored the officer’s legacy of generosity and service. “A lot of police officers and firefighters signed up to be organ donors right there at the event,” Sims said. “Once people understand how donation can save lives, most people want to register to be organ and tissue donors. That’s my mission, to educate others and to give thanks for my second chance.” To learn more, get involved and register as an organ and tissue donor, visit www.NJSharingNetwork.org or call NJ Sharing Network at 1-800-742-7365.
About NJ Sharing Network
NJ Sharing Network is a non-profit, federally designated organization responsible for the recovery and placement of donated organs and tissue for New Jersey residents in need of life-saving transplants. NJ Sharing Network partners with Donate Life America, a not-for-profit national alliance that drives communities to increase their numbers of registered donors. NJ Sharing Network honors those who gave, pays tribute to those who received, offers hope to those who continue to wait, and remembers the lives lost while waiting… for the gift of life.
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entertainment
n a i t s i r h C s o t a r r e S By Dan Lorenzo
B
orn in 1990, Christian Serratos’ earliest ambition was to be an Olympic skater. Her sights turned towards acting as a teenager. Christian is most well known for her role as Angela Weber in The Twilight Saga series, but can currently be seen on the immensely popular television show The Walking Dead. Trying to stay alive in a post-apocalyptic world is not easy for Christian’s character, Rosita Espinosa. It might be easier than landing roles in two of the most popular series of the decade. Before we spoke, I learned that Christian is terrified of knives, has campaigned for PETA, and she loves steam rooms. We started our conversation right after she watched a rerun of one of her favorite “old” TV shows. Dan Lorenzo: What were you just watching? Christian Serratos: SVU Law and Order. Do you watch Family Guy or Tosh.O? I don’t watch them, but I know they’re funny and everybody’s addicted to them. I’m a bad TV watcher. All I watch is old shows. I’ll watch reruns of Friends and Will and Grace and Beverly Hills Housewives. You consider Friends an old show? That makes me feel old. (laughs) I thought you were going to tell me Get Smart or I Dream of 48
NJ Blue now | April 2014
Jeannie. Those are old shows. I Love Lucy is snuck in there, too. I mean I don’t watch any new shows. I don’t watch Game of Thrones or anything new. What made you end your skating career? I’m really neurotic. Every day that I would go to the rink to practice, I would go two times a day, once at 5 a.m. and another time at 1 p.m. Each time I would have to stop by my dad’s work for him to lace up my skates. I would have constant fits about my boots if they weren’t tied properly. As I got older, I got more and more frustrated with tying my skates. I know that sounds silly. When I started acting, I loved it so much. I still skate therapeutically. It wasn’t like one day I just quit. I got overwhelmed with other things. Ice skates are really just two big knives on your feet, aren’t they? They are. I know! I didn’t have that fear earlier in life, but I definitely do now when I go skating. (laughs) I’ve seen videos, there’s one incident with a pair of skaters on ice and they got too close together and the man’s blade sliced the girl’s face. It is very dangerous and I don’t think people realize
that figure skaters are tough. The things that they do are insane. I don’t think they get enough credit. I’ve heard you say that because you were raised in L.A., it was inevitable that you would become an actress. What if your parents raised you in Montana or South Dakota? What do you think you’d be doing right now? I would probably be coordinating events or weddings. I love putting things in order and I like things to be done my way. (laughs) I’m admittedly very controlling, but I can admit it. Your character Angela started off very shy in Twilight and I’ve heard you say that you can be shy. I can’t picture that. (Continued on page 50) To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
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entertainment (Continued from page 48) I’m super shy. People have to really help me out to bring me out of my comfort zone and then once that happens, I can’t be shut up. I’m really outgoing. It takes a long time for me to open up to people. The first time you came to my attention was for something you can’t be that shy to do: A Maxim photo shoot. Isn’t it so weird? People meet me and say to me, “Oh wow, you are very shy, but you’re an actress and you do photo shoots and interviews.” It still petrifies me to have to do interviews like this. (laughs) Are you nervous right now? No. I get nervous at the idea of having to do it and I sweat a little when I have to talk about myself. Then, if the person doing the interview is really nice or kind, I feel like that’s part of your job to make the other person feel really comfortable. So, it works out, but I do get really nervous talking about myself. How am I doing so far? (laughs) So far, so good! Speaking about being nervous, you have to be somewhat nervous walking, no pun intended, into a show as popular as The Walking Dead. The fan base is so rabid, is it nerve wracking joining a show like that? 100%! I’ve never seen the show before I decided to work on it, but once I found out that I was going to be going out to Atlanta to work on it, I watched all the shows back to back. On top of being scared to go into a new environment, I got scared to go meet everyone because I became such a huge fan. I then realized why everyone is so obsessed with the show. It’s such a great show that there were definitely nerves going into it, but I feel like I got lucky because I’m not just a new character who is being thrown in; I’m a new character in a trio. So, I have two other people that are awesome that I got to go in there with. If we were nervous, we had each other. Some people are a little confused with the relationship between your character Rosita and Abe. Was Rosita a prostitute? 50
NJ Blue now | April 2014
Yeah, I’ve heard a couple people use the word “prostitute” and I haven’t read the comic book, but I’ve done my research and Rosita was never a prostitute. Rosita is somebody who is very strong and capable of taking care of herself, but she’s also very smart. She understands that she’s a small woman and so it would be to her advantage to find a man who was big and strong to keep them safe. What (writer) Scott Gimple explained to me is that she probably came from a family of all men and had tons of brothers which is why she’s capable of taking care of herself. She probably learned a lot from them and is trying to find that sort of relationship again. When the Apocalypse happened, she lost her family of brothers, and she is in search of a strong man that can be by her side. She is probably using her sex appeal so that they stay around, but then she finds Abraham and she realizes that he is probably somebody that she cares about and loves and somebody she would like to be with in this world now. A lot of people have commented that you look a lot like Rosita from the comic book. I don’t see much of a similarity, do you? I can see it sometimes. There are some photos of Rosita in the comic book that I do look like her. Does Rosita have ulterior motives as so many other characters on the show do? I don’t think that she does. I think that Rosita is very straight forward. I don’t think she has any reason to bullshit. She’s trying to find some sort of, something to look forward to in this world because it’s so bleak. She found kind of a project and that is taking Eugene into Washington and being there to keep him safe and also staying by her man Abraham. I don’t know that she has any (ulterior motives), but if she does, I don’t think I would know about it yet because they’re keeping it top secret. (laughs) Maybe we’ll find out soon. So many of your roles have been dealing in the paranormal, right? Yeah, I know. I really didn’t notice it until I started doing interviews for The Walking Dead. As a woman named Christian, do
you believe in life after death? Do you believe in ghosts or evil spirits? Yes, I do. I’m very superstitious. If I think that there’s bad Karma or bad energy attached to something, I usually don’t mess with it. I totally believe in all that stuff. Tell me about your decision to stop eating meat. Well, I educated myself. I was really young and I started working with PETA, just one little thing. It was really PETA who educated me and let me know, not only for humane reasons, but for health reasons, there are a lot of really gross things that go into the process of making meat that I didn’t know about. Once I found out, I didn’t want to put that in my body. I’ve been a vegetarian for ten years, and I’ve been vegan for less than that; but I can’t tolerate that. I don’t think it’s cool and I don’t think it’s green. I always find it interesting that people I know who have good hearts have no moral dilemma with going to McDonald’s or KFC. I agree! And then the people that actually do have a moral compass say, “No, I don’t want to hear about it because I like the taste of meat and if I hear about it, I won’t want to eat it.” I’m like, that’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard! Some of my best friends don’t want to hear about it. I try not to push it onto people because then you’re just annoying. I’ll tell people once what they don’t know and then they can do what they want with that information. I heard you’re obsessed with steam rooms. Oh my God, yes. I can’t even think of when I said that, but I love a good steam room. Saunas are great, but there is something about going to a steam room and then drinking cucumber water that I’m obsessed with. Where would you like to be five years from now? Oh, wow, things just got serious. (laughs) I’m giving myself a deadline to find my dream home and finding somebody to perfectly furnish my dream home. That’s what I’ll be doing. To Advertise Call: 201.881.5100
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