TRENTON – Beginning in 2020, law enforcement departments from across New Jersey were required to file incident reports on cases of major disciplinary actions taken against police and other sworn law enforcement personnel on an annual basis.
The effort is part of the state Attorney General’s Office’s Excellence in Policing Initiative. The 2021 report has been released.
In Cape May County, nine individuals were subjected to major discipline in 2021 covering 12 incidents. Three incidents resulted in termination or resignation of an officer, one involved a demotion, and the others were suspensions of various lengths.
The definition of major discipline involves termination, demotion, or suspension for five days or more. The reports are made only after disciplinary action has been sustained through all processes of appeal. In some cases, an incident from one year is not reported until the following year when the action is sustained.
11 Law Enforcement Agencies with No Major Discipline Actions
Cape May County has 11 municipal police departments, two county law enforcement entities, and one independent authority police department.
The county has five municipalities that do not have police departments and are covered by State Police or by a shared services arrangement with a municipal police department.
State Police cover Upper Township, Dennis Township, and Woodbine. The City of Cape May provides contract police services for Cape May Point and West Cape May.
The report listed nine municipal police departments with no major discipline actions reported – Avalon, Cape May, Lower Township, North Wildwood, Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Stone Harbor, West Wildwood, and Wildwood Crest.
Elsewhere in the county, two agencies were listed as having no major disciplinary actions – Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and Delaware River and Bay Authority police.
The three law enforcement agencies that reported major disciplinary actions in 2021 were the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office, Middle Township Police Department, and Wildwood Police Department.
County Sheriff’s Office
The county sheriff reported seven incidents resulting in major discipline involving five separate officers, with two of those officers each accounting for two instances of major discipline in the same year.
One corrections officer was disciplined twice and received five days suspension in one instance and 91 days in the other. The five days came for leaving the scene of an off-duty accident. The 91 days were for conviction for off-duty driving while intoxicated.
Another sheriff’s officer was suspended twice for 30 days and then 130 days. The 30-day suspension was for failing to document the use of leave to a supervisor while on a detached assignment. The officer received the 130-day suspension for leaving the scene and not reporting an off-duty motor vehicle accident.
The three remaining incidents of major discipline involved three corrections sergeants. One was suspended for 30 days and demoted to officer for conduct unbecoming, insubordination, neglect of duty, and misuse of public property.
The other two sergeants were suspended 24 and 22 days, respectively, for similar offenses of misuse of public property and neglect of duty while violating the county’s internet policy.
Middle Township
Middle Township terminated one patrol officer and sought termination of two others who elected to resign. In all three cases, the infraction was the same – violation of illegal drug policy, misconduct, and conduct unbecoming.
In one case, the violation involved amphetamine, and in the other, two steroids.
One of the officers who resigned rather than have the department seek to terminate was the subject of a settlement agreement approved by Middle Township Committee in November 2021.
Wildwood
Wildwood Police Department reported two suspensions of seven and 60 days, respectively, involving the same patrol officer. In both instances, the report only listed the infractions as a violation of departmental rules and regulations.
’21 Arrests
In 2021, five officers in four municipal departments were arrested and four are potentially facing criminal trials.
One in West Wildwood has pleaded guilty to indictable offenses and is no longer with the police department.
Additionally, two in Lower Township are facing charges of bicycle theft, one in Middle Township is alleged to have engaged in witness tampering and domestic violence, and one in Ocean City was arrested for child endangerment and having a sexual relationship with a minor.
Final actions in each of these cases will be subject to reporting in the 2022 major discipline report since no actions were yet sustained at the close of 2021.
To contact Vince Conti, email vconti@cmcherald.com.
