Friday, December 21, 2007

Office of the Attorney General
Anne Milgram

East Orange Police Director Named Statewide Director of Gangs, Guns And Violent Crime
Jose Cordero Will Assume Top Law Enforcement Leadership Role in Implementing Governor’s Anti-Crime Plan

East Orange, NJ – Governor Jon S. Corzine and Attorney General Anne Milgram today announced the appointment of East Orange Police Director Jose Cordero as New Jersey’s first statewide director of gangs, guns and violent crime.

The position is part of Governor Jon S. Corzine’s anti-crime strategy for safe streets and neighborhoods, which was unveiled in October. Cordero will head the coordinating council overseeing implementation of the law enforcement portion of the Governor’s three part strategy to combat violent crime and gangs, which also includes prevention and reentry programs. As director, Cordero will also collaborate with law enforcement agencies throughout the state and assess the strategies put into place to investigate and prosecute gang and gun crimes. “Mr. Cordero’s success in implementing intelligence-led policing tactics in East Orange speaks volumes of his leadership and makes him an excellent fit for this position.” Governor Corzine said. “I’m eager to work closely with him on implementing the law enforcement component of the state’s anti-crime strategy.’’ Cordero, 51, has been serving as the police director in East Orange since July 2004. In East Orange, he put in place innovative policing methods to better combat crime by emphasizing the collection and analysis of intelligence data to target criminal activity. He is scheduled to leave East Orange and begin his new assignment with the state in early January.

Under Cordero’s watch, the violent crime rate in East Orange dropped 56 percent, decreasing from 16.2 per 1,000 residents in 2004 to 10.6 per 1,000 residents in 2006, according to the state’s annual Uniform Crime Reports. “I am proud of Police Director Jose Cordero’s extraordinary record of achievement during his tenure at the helm of the East Orange Police department,’’ East Orange Mayor Robert L. Bowser said. “His innovative approach to law enforcement has fostered a model that has produced dramatic public safety gains and has transformed public perception. Today, our City is a much safer place to live, work, play and worship.’’ “Attorney General Milgram and Governor Corzine are to be congratulated for recognizing what we already know about Director Cordero and his extraordinary capabilities,’’ the Mayor added.

“I have seen the police operations in East Orange first hand and the results are outstanding,” Attorney General Milgram said. “The adoption of data-driven, technologically-supported, intelligence-led policing can and should serve as a model for police departments throughout our state. But more important, Joe Cordero is an incredibly talented police officer and leader who understands that people need to feel safe on the streets of New Jersey.’’ Cordero was a member of the New York City Police Department for 21 years, retiring with the rank of inspector. He was the first citywide gang coordinator for the New York City Police Department, developing the department’s anti-gang strategy. He also served as the police chief in Newton, Massachusetts.

“I am pleased and honored to have been selected as New Jersey’s first Statewide Director of Gangs, Guns and Violent Crime,’’ Cordero said. “I am looking forward to the challenge and to working with New Jersey’s law enforcement community, municipalities across the state, and the people of New Jersey to implement the governor’s vision for a safer New Jersey. We will work diligently to devise and implement well-conceived and coordinated law enforcement strategies to effectively deal with the growing criminal street gang menace and to reduce violent crimes across NJ.’’  Since his appointment as police director in East Orange, Cordero merged cutting edge technologies with intelligence-led and real-time policing strategies to achieve increased productivity and reduced overall crime by 56 percent in three years. In addition, during the first eleven months of 2007, overall crime declined another 29 percent.

Cordero began his police career with the New York City Police Department in 1981, earning promotions to sergeant in 1984, lieutenant in 1989, and captain in 1992. He was named a deputy inspector in 1995 and an inspector in 1996. He served as the commanding officer in precincts in the Bronx and Manhattan. He also commanded the department’s recruitment unit and advocate’s office. He served as the Crime Strategies Inspector for Queens South in New York City with responsibility of overseeing the design and implementation of anti-crime strategies for more than 2,000 police officers operating in eight police precincts serving nearly one million residents. During his tenure, the borough attained the largest crime reduction of any patrol borough in New York City.

After leaving the NYPD in 2002, Cordero was appointed chief of police in Newton, Massachusetts. During his term, overall crime in Newton dropped below 1,000 total yearly crimes for the first time in over 30 years, capturing a “Safest City in America” award for two straight years, according to an annual survey by the Morgan-Quitno research firm, which was recently acquired by CQ Press. Cordero has lectured at national and international security forums, and colleges and universities on a wide-variety of public safety and management topics. He actively assists other law enforcement agencies in such areas as gang suppression, CompStat-driven management principles, and crime reduction strategies. Cordero is a summa cum laude graduate of the New York Institute of Technology. He was honorably discharged from the US Army National Guard in 1994, retiring with the rank of Major after serving 21 years. Cordero is a member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Massachusetts Chiefs of Police, and the American Society for Industrial Security.

 

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Devices Pinpoint Gunfire in Paterson
By Ed Beeson
HERALD NEWS

PATERSON -- Seconds after a gun is fired on some of the city's most dangerous streets, police will know. The Paterson Police Department plans to install a ring of technology around parts of the city that will alert authorities immediately as to where and when shots are fired. The gunshot detection technology uses dozens of coffee can-sized acoustic sensors placed on rooftops around a 2-square-mile section of the city. When gunfire is detected, the sensors will work in concert to triangulate the exact spot where the weapon was fired. That location, guaranteed to be precise within 25 meters or less, is then relayed to police dispatchers as red dots on a satellite-generated map.Dispatchers can then send police cruisers to investigate.

This process -- from trigger pull to police alert -- takes between five and 12 seconds, allowing police an incredible response time." The faster you get there, the more witnesses or suspects you have," Capt. Danny Nichols of the Paterson Police Department said. The technology's manufacturers also claim the system can differentiate between gunshots, firecrackers and backfiring cars. And it will also give police more reliable statistics on the amount of gunfire in the city, its supporters say. Paterson police estimate that only one out of every five gunshots is ever reported to police, and many times, that's only when someone has been shot.

From January to September of 2006, there were 53 nonfatal shootings in the city, according to the Paterson Police CeaseFire unit. Over the same period this year, there were 27 nonfatal shootings. On Wednesday, representatives from ShotSpotter, a California-based company that manufactures gunshot detection technology, briefed senior Paterson police officials at Passaic County Community College on the technology's promise and its implementation across the city.

When the sensors go up, Paterson will be joining a growing club of its early adopters. About 20 municipalities and counties across the country, including East Orange, have installed ShotSpotter. Many other cities, including Newark after a triple murder in August of three university students, have announced plans to acquire it. The enthusiasm is partly bolstered by reports of captured criminals and deterred crimes. According to news reports, police in Washington D.C. say they have caught shooting suspects thanks to the ShotSpotter technology paid for by the FBI.

>In East Orange, which has experienced a dramatic, 56 percent drop in crime since 2003, police credit ShotSpotter with deterring people from even pulling the trigger.< The promise of the technology has even swayed critics of the city's administration and police brass. "It's a wonderful project, if it does as it claims to do," said Councilman Aslon Goow, chairman of the City Council's public safety committee. "Between our two (anti-gun violence) components, our CeaseFire program and that, I think it should be a tremendous success."

That said, the system is not cheap. In June, the City Council approved spending $329,000 from its general funds to install the system and pay for its first year of service. After that, the city will pay more than $49,000 for each additional year. Detailed incident reports from the system, used for investigation, cost up to $1,000 each. It's unclear where the cash-strapped city found the money to pay for the system. Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres did not return a telephone call to his office seeking comment.

The company plans to establish an initial ring around Paterson's northern edges, encompassing parts of the Totowa section, downtown and the city's Fourth Ward. About 35 sensors will be placed atop public, commercial and residential buildings with the landlord or owners' permission. If the program is successful, then police Director Michael Walker said he plans to press for an additional 2-square-mile coverage area.

The ShotSpotter sensors will also be coordinated with the city's 12 remote cameras, which will be increased to 44 next year. If gunfire is detected in the area of the camera, then the camera will turn to focus on the source of the sound. It will take approximately 90 days to install the sensors once the locations are selected, ShotSpotter representatives said. And, pending city approval, police will need to calibrate the system by going around the city and firing blanks into the air. "If live fire is not allowed," ShotSpotter project manager AJ James jokingly told the gathering of Paterson police officials, "then we're going to have to let the community calibrate the system."
 

Sunday July 1st, 2007

Homicides Soar in Some East Coast Cities
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press Writer

Baltimore, Philadelphia and other cities in a bloodstained corridor along the East Coast are seeing a surge in killings, and one of the most provocative explanations offered by criminal-justice experts is this: not enough new immigrants. The theory holds that waves of hardworking, ambitious immigrants reinvigorate desperately poor black and Hispanic neighborhoods and help keep crime down. It is a theory that runs counter to the widely held notion that immigrants are a source of crime and disorder. "New York, Los Angeles, they're seeing massive immigration - the transformation, really, of their cities from populations around the world," said Harvard sociologist Robert J. Sampson. "These are people selecting to go into a country to get ahead, so they're likely to be working hard and stay out of trouble." It is only a partial explanation for the bloodshed over the past few years in a corridor that also includes Newark, N.J., and Boston, but not New York City. In interviews with The Associated Press, homicide detectives, criminal justice experts and community activists point to a confluence of other possible factors. Among them: a failure to adopt some of the innovative practices that have reduced violence in bigger cities; the availability of powerful guns; and a shift in emphasis toward preventing terrorism instead of ordinary street crime. Philadelphia is losing one resident a day to violence, recording 196 homicides through the third week of June. That is slightly ahead of the total at this point in 2006, a year that ended with 406 homicides, the most in almost a decade. On the first day of summer alone, six people were killed in Philadelphia in three street shootings.

In Newark, the homicide toll has soared 50 percent in four years, from 68 in 2002 to 106 in 2006. Baltimore had 140 slayings as of June 10, up from 122 the same time last year. Boston had 75 homicides in 2005, a 10-year high, and 75 in 2006. So far this year, there have been at least 30 slayings. Some cities "never bothered to institute the reforms, policies and programs that impacted violent crime because they felt immune from what they saw as big-city issues," said Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Center on Violence at Northeastern University in Boston. "Now they're paying the price." These efforts include limiting gun purchases, suing rogue dealers and deploying officers more strategically, based on crime data analysis. Others blame a resigned acceptance of "quality-of-life" crimes, such as running red lights and vandalism. Some law enforcement authorities argue that ignoring such crimes breeds disrespect and cynicism and leads to more serious offenses. The vast majority of U.S. homicides - nearly 90 percent in Newark last year - involve guns. And they are more powerful than ever. The weapons of choice are semiautomatics that can spray dozens of bullets within seconds. "We're seeing 40, 45 shots," said Richard Ross, Philadelphia's deputy police commissioner. In one recent killing, "I think they fired 20 shots into him. That's remarkable." He added: "For some of these young people, it's the glamour of it. They want to carry on their block." Some cite a drop in federal aid for ordinary law enforcement in favor of homeland security spending. According to Ross, federal grants used mostly for police overtime in Philadelphia fell from more than $4 million in 2002 to about $1 million last year.

The number of police officers per capita has fallen 10 percent since 2000 in cities of more than 225,000, according to Northeastern University criminologist James Alan Fox. Yet post-Sept. 11 fears, especially in Boston, have forced police to monitor government buildings and transportation hubs while also watching for street crime, he said. "We've shifted our resources from hometown security to homeland security," Fox said. "We have left relatively unattended the poor and powerless who face violence every day and hear gunshots every night." University of Pennsylvania criminologist Lawrence W. Sherman is a prime exponent of the theory that immigration exerts a moderating effect on crime among poor black men. "Cities that have heavily concentrated and segregated African-American poverty are the places that have increases in homicide," Sherman said. "The places that have lots of immigration tend not to have nearly as much segregation and isolation" of poor blacks. Sherman acknowledges the theory is evolving and unproven. "The fundamental driver of the homicide rate is honor killings among young black men," Sherman said. "What is it about immigration that tends to tone it down? I don't think we know the answer to it." He said immigrants "change the spirit" of a community and affect the way young black men in poor areas relate to each other. "It seems a plausible way to account for the big difference in the trajectory of homicides" in stagnant cities versus ones with lots of immigration, he said. The percentage of foreign-born residents is 11 percent in Philadelphia, compared with 22 percent in Chicago, 37 percent in New York and 40 percent in Los Angeles, according to 2005 census figures.

Alison Sprague, executive director of Victim/Witness Services of South Philadelphia, suggested there is some merit to the theory. Immigrants in Philadelphia tend to be crime victims rather than perpetrators, she said. "I really do think the vast majority of people are trying to earn a living and support their families and stay under the radar," Sprague said. Illegal immigrants, especially, "have every motivation not to get involved in something." Dorothy Johnson-Speight of Philadelphia, whose 24-year-old son was shot to death over a parking space in 2001, doesn't buy it. "If there were more immigrants in the city of Philadelphia, there would be less violence? I'm not making the connection here. I'm not getting it," she said. In New York, city leaders have pushed through strict gun-control laws while attacking social ills such as littering and loitering. New York's homicide toll has plummeted to one-fourth its 1990 high of 2,245. The count could slip below 500 this year. Just across the Hudson River, in Newark, the poverty and employment picture remains grim. Unemployment hit 18 percent in 2004, and 27 percent of families live in poverty. New York's unemployment rate, by contrast, was 4.9 percent in May. "The second-tier cities have fewer economic possibilities for people," said Arlene Bell, a former prosecutor who now runs youth centers in Philadelphia. "When there are no opportunities for kids growing up, no possibility of entering the work force - particularly with their level of education - they're left to their own devices." Chicago, whose jobless rate was 4.7 percent in May, has seen its death toll drop sharply from the first part of the decade, when more than 600 homicides were recorded for three straight years. The city had 467 homicides in 2006, and this year the numbers are running about even. Similarly, Los Angeles, where unemployment stood at 4.7 percent last month, recorded 481 homicides in 2006 - less than half the number seen in the early 1990s. By mid-June of this year, the city had 172 killings.
 

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

East Orange Council reappoints Police Director
BY KEVIN C. DILWORTH
Star-Ledger Staff

East Orange Police Director Jose Cordero's contract was renewed by the city council, whose members mostly praised the veteran cop credited with spearheading anti-crime efforts that have led to three years of across-the-board drops in every major crime area. The renewal, which was approved by a 6-3 vote Monday night, runs through Dec. 31, 2009, the end of Mayor Robert Bowser's current term. Cordero's annual pay, about $140,000, continues.
"First and foremost, I was extremely grateful and humbled by the outpouring of support, by the number of people who were there, and their testimony, to their own senses of public safety in the city," Cordero said yesterday. "To me, that is the real measure of success."

Cordero, a retired New York City police inspector to whom the city council unanimously awarded a three-year contract in July 2004, praised the 250 members of the police force, and the city's elected officials, for collectively supporting anti-crime efforts that have helped produce a 56 percent drop in crimes, in all major categories. "To any police officer who is truly committed to their profession and to making this city safe, (Monday) night was a tribute to them," the 50-year-old, Bronx-born Cordero said.

Eleven people -- residents, business owners, Chamber of Commerce president Raymond L. Scott, former Third Ward Councilman Clinton Robinson, Essex County Juvenile Detention Center official Todd Warren and senior citizens -- came to the council chambers' podium to individually praise Cordero for helping transform the police department, turning it into a more visible, more responsive and friendlier force.

Cordero's law enforcement accomplishments are so renowned, so the only matter the council should be discussing is "what kind of pay raise he should get," attorney Ronald Johnson told the governing body, before the vote. "When a person comes into the city of East Orange, and, in such a short time, you see a (positive) difference, I say God bless him," said Barbara Atlantic, a Madonna Place homeowner. Criminals now think twice before even coming to East Orange to break the law, said Robinson, the former councilman.
 

Wednesday June 13, 2007

According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), the nations motor vehicle thieves continue to favor imports over domestic brands as their target of opportunity.

Which cars are stolen most often in New Jersey?               Which cars are stolen most often in United States?

1.   1995 Honda Civic 2.   1994 Honda Accord 3.   1991 Toyota Camry 4.   2000 Jeep Cherokee/Grand Cherokee 5.   1994 Dodge Caravan 6.   1995 Nissan Maxima 7.   1994 Plymouth Voyager 8.   1995 Acura Integra 9.   2000 Dodge Intrepid 10. 1996 Ford Taurus                          1.   1991 Honda Accord                          2.   1995 Honda Civic                          3.   1989 Toyota Camry                          4.   1994 Dodge Caravan                          5.   1994 Nissan Sentra                          6.   1997 Ford F150 Series                          7.   1990 Acura Integra                          8.   1986 Toyota Pickup                          9.   1993 Saturn SL                          10. 2004 Dodge Ram Pickup

Thursday May 31st, 2007

FBI Says Violent Crime Still Increasing
By LARA JAKES JORDAN
Associated Press Writer

Violent crime kept climbing in 2006, a top FBI official said Wednesday, previewing a report detailing nationwide increases in murders, robberies and other felonies for a second straight year.

The rising crime rate, in an FBI report expected next week, counters Justice Department attempts to tamp down violence by sending more funds to local police and studying U.S. cities for clues on how the increase began.

Asked if the report would show crime rates are still rising, FBI Assistant Director John Miller said: "I think you can anticipate it will." He declined to say by how much.

Miller said the FBI's findings will largely mirror those of the Police Executive Research Forum, a Washington think-tank that in March reported spikes in the number of big-city murders, robberies and gun crimes.

That survey "showed that there would be, in all likelihood, a continued uptick in violent crime, particularly among midsized American cities," Miller said during an interview taped for C-SPAN's Newsmakers program. "The data we're going to release Monday will contain no big surprises in that regard."

Preliminary numbers the FBI released in December showed violent crimes rose by 3.7 percent nationwide during the first six months of 2006.

The crime hike marks the latest blow to Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, who has targeted neighborhood violence as a top priority. Gonzales took office in early 2005, when violent crime rose by 2.2 percent in the first annual increase since 2001.

A Justice Department study released earlier this month of 18 cities and suburban regions indicates youth violence, gangs and gun crime largely are to blame for the increasing rates. Gonzales also has promised to help local police combat gangs and guns with $50 million this year and up to $200 million in 2008.

Miller, answering questions from reporters for the New York Daily News and The Associated Press, said the FBI's focus on counter terror investigations since the 2001 attacks have inevitably resulted in fewer agents devoted to traditional crime fighting. "Certainly we've put fewer personnel into violent crime in the post-9/11 era because the demands have simply been that our top priority is to counter and prevent another terrorist attack," he said. "And to do that we had to increase resources there."

Miller also described "a high tempo of terrorist activity" globally that the FBI is monitoring. Asked if the FBI has identified any cells of al-Qaida terrorists in the United States, he answered: 'I can't tell you that. And that doesn't mean the answer is no."'

On another topic, Miller said an internal FBI review of its use - and abuse - of administrative subpoenas known as national security letters has uncovered "much of the same problems" revealed in a March audit by the Justice Department's inspector general. The damning audit found the FBI improperly used the letters to secretly obtain Americans' personal data from telephone and Internet companies. "Since we are looking at the same system - but a much larger sampling than the IG did - we're finding the same problems within that system," Miller said. "As we expected to."

Miller said the FBI is taking steps to fix the problem, including stronger oversight, better training and clearer guidance for agents about the rules governing investigations.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Carjack suspect kills self in cell
Man found hanging, E. Orange police say

A 31-year-old man used a pair of long underwear to hang himself in his cell in the East Orange police station after being held for nearly three days on carjacking charges, police said yesterday. The suspect, Frances Antwi of East Orange, was alone in the cell area when he was found hanging about 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Detective Andrew DiElmo, a police spokesman. He said a medical examiner pronounced him dead at the scene at 9:34 p.m.

DiElmo said Antwi hung himself in a section of the cell invisible to video monitors. He said the suspect had been checked on hourly, as is standard procedure. "He was out of the view of our cameras," DiElmo said. "He had found one of the spots where you cannot see." DiElmo said this is believed to be the second suicide in the lockup on Munn Avenue in recent decades, although there have been other attempts. He said the last suicide occurred in 1996 or 1997.

Antwi was one of three carjacking suspects arrested Monday at about 1 a.m. at his home on Sunnyside Terrace. The three were charged with involvement in two recent carjackings in East Orange. The first carjacking occurred at 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Four men with ski masks used a shotgun to steal a man's 2001 Land Rover in the rear parking lot of a Rhode Island Avenue apartment building off South Munn Avenue, DiElmo said. The vehicle was later found outside a lounge on Halsted Street in Newark.

In the second incident, a lone man with a mask and a shotgun stole a woman's 2006 Pontiac G6 while she was stopped at South Harrison and Clay streets to drop off a male relative on Monday at 12:30 a.m. Her vehicle was found parked outside of Antwi's home, according to DiElmo. He said police linked the vehicle to the three suspects through a brief surveillance operation.

The other two suspects, Craig Beckford, 20, of East Orange and Richardo Henry, 23, of Irvington, had already been transferred to the county jail in Newark by Wednesday evening. But DiElmo said Antwi had been held in the municipal lockup for further questioning. DiElmo said state guidelines permit police to hold suspects in the municipal police station for questioning for up to 72 hours. Antwi was found hanging 68 hours after his arrest. Paul Loriquet, a spokesman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, said he could not immediately confirm the existence of a guideline pertaining to the transfer of prisoners to the county. He said the matter was being reviewed by his office as a matter of routine.

September 13, 2003

Law saves aid to cop widows

New Jersey is one of 14 states with a remarriage penalty for the spouses of officers killed in the line of duty. The new law helps, but it covers only about half of the benefits left to spouses. Although it covers pension payments, it does not include workman's compensation or dental benefits, click here to read article.

Sunday, August 3, 2003

70% at 25 Years, 75% at 30 Years

Major confusion on this whole issue and whether it benefits us.  On the message boards we've seen both complaints and praise.  Our view is that the worst case scenario is that we are closer to our ultimate goal then we have ever been.  The best case scenario is that we've finally done it, and guys and girls will soon be able to take advantage of this.  

The New Jersey State PBA did a good job on their website clearing up some of the questions and explaining this provision as well as an early retirement incentive that also went through.  The FOP was strongly involved in this issue as well, so we don't want to appear that we are touting one over the other.  The link to the PBA website follows, but this will only take you to the main page.  Go about half way down the page and look on the left side for the text listed below which will link you to the appropriate pages:  PBA Website

Assembly Bill A3703 - 70/75 Retirement Benefits

Assembly Bill 3530 - Early Retirement Incentive

Pension benefit creeps into Assembly vote
Bill raises pay for police, firefighters with 25 years' service

Taking advantage of the swirl of legislation and budget debate engulfing Trenton this month, lobbyists for police and firefighters got lawmakers to tuck a new retirement benefit for long-serving officers into a bill that, ironically, is designed to help local governments cope with overwhelming pension expenses. Click here to read article.

Friday, May 9, 2003

New Jersey State Police discontinue seat-belt checks at tolls
 

The worrisome death of a state trooper last Christmas season has persuaded the New Jersey State Police to quietly suspend and review the controversial practice of forcing officers to walk amid tollbooth traffic looking for drivers without seat belts, the Gannett State Bureau learned Thursday.

When asked about the new policy, which Gannett had learned about from troopers on patrol, Sgt. Kevin Rehmann of the agency's Public Information Office added, "We're exploring safer ways to patrol outside the tollbooths."

Early last December, veteran trooper Christopher Scales was watching for seat belt violators at the busy turnpike booths at Interchange 12 in Carteret when he was struck by the back end of an 18-wheel rig. The truck dragged the trooper about five car lengths. Responders pronounced Scales dead at the scene.

State police reported the death as an accident, determining Scales either slipped or misjudged the truck's length.

Open Public Records Act (OPRA)

OPRA is a new state law that was enacted to give the public greater access to government records maintained by public agencies in New Jersey. The public has the right under OPRA to examine or obtain copies of those public records that are not subject to exceptions from disclosure. Under OPRA, all levels of New Jersey government are required to produce records, when properly requested. Certain records are considered exceptions. OPRA expands the intent of the Right to Know law by re-defining what records are available to the public, by setting standards for accessing those records, and penalties for failing to disclose them. Requests for information relating to the Division of Motor Vehicles:

Driver & Vehicle Records*
These documents must be requested using the forms listed below:

• Request for Title Search – Fee $10.50 - Form #ISM/DO-22A

• Request for Lien Search – Fee $5.00 – Form ISM/DO-22

• Driver History Abstract Request & Related Documents (See form for details and other fees) Fee Uncertified $8- Fee Certified $10 – Form ISM-21

• Vehicle Registration Application Request- Fee Uncertified $8 – Fee Certified $10 – Form ISM/DO-11A

• Driver License Application Request – Fee Uncertified $8 – Fee Certified $10 – Form ISM/DO-11

• Notarized Authority to Release Personal Motor Vehicle Information for second party requests – Form ISM/DO-21A

• Click on Records Request Form MS Word (Microsoft) or Adobe Acrobat PDF to get all MV forms.

All of the information above must be mailed in accordance with instructions on the form.

Forms can be obtained by calling:
1-888-486-3339 (In State) or 1-609-292-6500 (From Out of State).

* Access to and use controlled by the Driver Privacy Protection Act, N.J.S.A. 39:2-3.3 et seq., and N.J.A.C. 13:18-11.3. Fees set by N.J.A.C. 13:18-11.4. Records Request Form(MS Word)     Procedures for Requests
(Adobe Acrobat PDF)

Digital Driver's Licenses Coming to New Jersey

Officials in New Jersey say they're speeding up plans to issue digitally produced driver's licenses. The new licenses may be ready by July 2003. The Division of Motor Vehicles says the digital licenses are the first step toward revamping the troubled system and reducing document fraud.

Bill would give rape victims say in pleas

TRENTON - Rape victims would be able to consult with the prosecutor before plea negotiations are completed under legislation passed by the state Senate on Thursday.

State Sen. Diane Allen, R-Burlington, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the proposal grew out of her observations regarding rape cases.

"Too often, I have heard from victims advocacy groups that the courageous women who come forward to report this heinous crime have been mistakenly left out of the loop in plea negotiations," Allen said.

Although some women might want to avoid the public exposure and pain of a trial, "there are others who very much want their day in court," Allen said. "They deserve to have their views and concerns considered before a plea bargain is offered."

State Sen. Barbara Buono, D-Middlesex, another co-sponsor, said the bill is intended to ensure that the prosecutor knows the full impact of what that victim has gone through rather than going with cold, hard facts.

"Though good prosecutors do speak with the victims first before starting the case," said Buono, a former practicing criminal lawyer.

The bill does not alter or limit the authority or discretion of the prosecutor to enter into any plea agreement.

The bill now heads to the Assembly for further consideration.

          

New Statute - Special Attention to Narcotic Strike Force Officers

Great new statute especially for officers who do a lot of narcotics work and search warrant executions!  Take a good look:

 4:19-38 Debarking silencing of dog, certain circumstances; third degree crime.

1. A person who surgically debarks or silences a dog, or causes the surgical debarking or silencing of a dog, for reasons other than to protect the life or health of the dog as deemed necessary by a duly licensed veterinarian shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

4:19-39.  Duly licensed veterinarian permitted to debark, silence dog; penalty

2. No person other than a duly licensed veterinarian may surgically debark or silence a dog.  A person who violates this section shall be guilty of a crime of the third degree.

4:19-40.  Seizure, forfeiture of dog at time of arrest of violator

3.  a.  A dog that has been surgically debarked or silenced may be seized at the time of arrest of a person charged with violating section 1 or 2 of P.L.2002, c.102 (C.4:19-38 or C.4:19-39), or at any time thereafter, and, upon seizure and pending final determination of the charges, shall be kept and cared for in a humane manner by an appropriate and qualified individual or entity as directed by the court.

b. If a person is found guilty of violating section 1 or 2 of P.L.2002, c.102 (C.4:19-38 or C.4:19-39), the court may order forfeiture of a dog seized pursuant to subsection a. of this section for such disposition as the court deems appropriate.

c. The costs of sheltering, feeding, caring for, and treating a dog seized pursuant to subsection a. or forfeited pursuant to subsection b. of this section, including any veterinary expenses incurred for the provision of any of those services and any other reasonably related expenses incurred, shall be borne by the person found guilty of violating section 1 or 2 of P.L.2002, c.102 (C.4:19-38 or C.4:19-39).

 As you see, the statute is under Title 4 of the New Jersey Code.  There are other provisions added as well.  Click here to view the code.    

When making a night-time motor vehicle stop, you should always ask the driver to put on the vehicle dome light.  Besides illuminating the interior of the vehicle, it will also reduce the driver's night vision and make it more difficult for him or her to see anything outside of the vehicle as the light will reflect against the vehicle's windows. Our legislature actually created a statute for those who don't see fit to comply with such a request.  Take a look at this:

39:4-57.1. Activation of interior light in vehicle upon request of police officer; 1.The driver of a motor vehicle equipped with an interior light, when stopped by a law enforcement officer during the period when lighted lamps are required, shall, upon request of the officer, activate an interior light of the vehicle in order to illuminate the driver's compartment of the vehicle. A fine of $50 shall be imposed upon any person who purposely refuses to comply with this section.  L.1997,c.374.   

LOD Statistics

On average, a law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty every 57 hours in America.

Between 1976 and 1998, of the over 1,800 officers killed--

• 16% were on disturbance calls

• 14% were in robbery arrest situations

• 14% were investigating suspicious persons/circumstances

• 13% were making traffic pursuits/stops

• 13% were attempting arrests for offenses other than robbery or burglary

• 10% were in ambush situations

• 7% were in an arrest situation involving drug-related matters

• 5% were in a burglary arrest situation arrests

• 6% were in other situations

Of the 901 assailants identified in the killing of law enforcement officers from 1989-98 --

• almost half had a prior conviction

• almost one-fifth were on probation or parole at the time

• Visit the Memorial Wall E.O. Officers Killed in The Line Of Duty

• What do you think is the average age of officers who die in the line of duty?  
  
  Many would guess it to be in the early or late twenties since officers are generally at the most proactive point of their careers at those ages.  The answer will probably surprise you.  Year to date, the average age for officers who die in the line of duty is thirty-eight.  This is not just some statistical aberration either.  The average age in 2001 was also thirty-eight.  Before that it was 39 in 2000; 38 in 1999; 39 in 1998; 39 in 1997; 37 in 199; and 39 in 1995.  While there has been no study or research as to the reason for this, officers generally become more complacent as they get further into their career which could be a factor.  

Most law enforcement officers are killed with firearms, particularly handguns.

SOURCE:  U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics

In 1999, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced approximately 28.8 million crimes, according to 1999 findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey.	Almost two-thirds of defendants charged with a felony in the 75 most populated counties in May 1996 were released from jail pending disposition of their case
Most victims and perpetrators in homicides are male.	Women were 5% of the State prison inmates in 1991, up from 4% in 1986.
Most law enforcement officers are killed with firearms, particularly handguns	More than 7 of every 10 jail inmates had prior sentences to probation or incarceration.
1996 was the first year State and Federal courts convicted a combined total of over 1 million adults of felonies.	If recent incarceration rates remain unchanged, an estimated 1 of every 20 persons (5.1%) will serve time in a prison during their lifetime.
From 1988 to 1996 the number of felony convictions increased faster than the number of arrests.	In general, the higher the annual household income, the less likely one was to experience a violent crime.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics

New Procedure for Search Warrants

 The New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice has just modified the process for obtaining search warrants.  Effective September 2, 2002 there is a form that must be completed by the affiant prior to submission for prosecutorial review.  It is called the Search Warrant Approval Form.  It will be presented to the reviewing prosecutor along with the affidavit and search warrant application. Click here to see the directive and accompanying form.  

 

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This information is being made available on the Internet to facilitate public access to information about persons who have committed a sex offense, to enable you to take appropriate precautions to protect yourself and those in your care from possible harm. Public access to registry information is intended solely for the protection of the public, and should never be used to threaten, intimidate or harass another.

Click here for the NJ Sex Offender Registry
 

WARNING!

Any person who uses the information contained herein to threaten, intimidate or harass another, or who otherwise misuses that information may be subject to criminal prosecution or civil liability.

  Need information on police service weapons and accessories...?

Click on the  manufacture of your choice and compare:

• Beretta

• Browning

• Glock

• Heckler & Koch

• Ruger

• Sig

• Smith & Wesson

• Taurus

 

Books and Study Material

• Keytesting.com

• Caliber Press

• Looseleaf Publications

• Gould Publications

• Edcon Press

   

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New  Jersey Attorney General Guidelines

DWI ENFORCEMENT

AG Directive No. 2001-5--"John's Law"--Potential Liability Warning and Mandatory 12-Hour Impoundment of Motor Vehicles
Effective August 1, 2001

AG Directive 2001-5

Appendix A--Potential Liability Warning Form and Guidelines --(Official Spanish translation of this document included as PAGE 8 of this document)

Appendix B--Guidelines for Mandatory 12-Hour Impoundment of Motor Vehicles

Overview of Guidelines for AG Directive No. 2001-5

 

Domestic Violence

Guidelines

for the Enforcement of Out-of-State Restraining Orders or Orders of Protection in Domestic Violence Cases --PDF File
(Updated SEPTEMBER 2000)

Guidelines on Police Response Procedures in Domestic Violence Cases (Updated November 1994)

AG Directives 2000-3 and 2000-4--Directive Implementing Procedures for the Seizure of Weapons from Municipal and County Law Enforcement Officers Involved in Domestic Violence Incidents AND Directive Implementing Procedures for the Seizure of Weapons from All State Law Enforcement Officers Involved in Domestic Violence Incidents (Updated SEPTEMBER 2000)-PDF File

 

 Quick Links...

Drug Testing	Law Enforcement Drug Testing Policy (PDF file 93K)  ***(Revised JUNE 2001)
Internal Affairs	Internal Affairs Policy and Procedures (PDF File 497K) ***(Updated November 2000)

Law Enforcement Computers

LAW ENFORCEMENT COMPUTERS-- Shared Municipal and Police Computer Systems (ADDED SEPTEMBER 2000)--PDF file

Photo ID & Live LineUps

Photo ID and Lineup--AG Guidelines for Preparing and Conducting Photo and Live Lineup Identification Procedures--**added April 2001**--PDF File 66K

Shoplifting

Attorney General Guidelines -- Prosecution of Shoplifting Offenses--(ADDED JANUARY 2001

Use of Force

Use of Force Policy (PDF File 37K) *** ***(Revised JUNE 2000-- *** New Model Report included as of July 2001)

Vehicular Pursuit

New Jersey Police Vehicular Pursuit Policy(Updated Sept 1999)

Strip Search	Attorney General's Strip Search and Body Cavity Search Requirements and Procedures for Police Officers (Updated June 1995)
Firearms	Semi-Annual Firearms Qualification and Requalification Standards for New Jersey Law Enforcement (Revised May 2001)
Bias Incidents	Bias Incident Investigation Standards (Updated JANUARY 2000)--PDF
Records of Police Departments	Executive Order No. 11 (Updated November 1974) Executive Order No. 69 (Updated March 1998)