News: February 2010

Dow sworn in as N.J. Attorney General

Published February 23, 2010

TRENTON — Paula Dow was sworn in Tuesday as state attorney general, capping her climb to the highest perch in New Jersey law enforcement.

Her two sons held the Bible while she was sworn in by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Stuart Rabner.

Dow, 54, was confirmed by the state Senate Monday and will be the first African-American woman to hold her position. The former Essex County prosecutor promised to keep pursuing corruption and violent criminal gangs while balancing her office’s divergent responsibilities.

“Justice will ring out from these corridors and these halls to every corner of the state of New Jersey,” she said.

As a Democrat nominated by Republican Governor Christie, Dow’s nomination moved quickly through the Senate. Christie praised Dow’s candor and intellect during his introduction.

“She has the ability, the courage and the willingness to speak truth to power,” he said.  The New Jersey attorney general leads the 9,000-employee Department of Law and Public Safety, which includes the State Police, gaming enforcement, consumer affairs and civil litigation.

The department has been struggling with high turnover within its ranks of lawyers. Before leaving office, former Gov. Jon Corzine signed a bill allowing deputy attorneys general to unionize and collectively bargain for salary increases. Anne Milgram, Dow’s predecessor, opposed the idea, but she warned that low pay was causing lawyers to jump ship.

Dow started her legal career at Exxon before working as a federal prosecutor in Manhattan and Newark. When Christie became U.S. attorney, he made Dow his counsel, a position she held in 2002 and 2003.

BY CHRIS MEGERIAN
State House Bureau
STATE HOUSE BUREAU

New Jersey Transit Police Department Announces Application Process

Published February 19, 2010

NJ TRANSIT POLICE OFFICER

The NJ TRANSIT Police Department’s mission is to ensure a safe and orderly environment within the transit system, promoting the confidence of the riding public and enhancing the maximum use of the transit system.  The fundamental duty of the department is to safeguard lives and property; protect against deception, intimidation and violence; and to uphold, without prejudice, the Constitutional rights of all people.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Age: Candidates must be at least 21 years on the date of the written examination, and not have attained their 35th birthday at the time of appointment to the Police Academy Program.

Education: All candidates must have 60 college credits, (No exceptions). Failure to provide proof at the time of the testing will result in disqualification.

Citizenship:Candidates must be citizens of the United States at the time of the written examination.

Driver’s License: Candidates must have a good driving record and valid driver’s license on the date of the written examination and thereafter.

SELECTION PROCESS
Submit an application and resume to Human Resources Office Pass a Written Examination (*) Pass a Physical Agility Exam (*) PTC candidates are exempt from written & physical exams Pass a Panel Interview Pass an extensive background investigation (a review of the candidate’s academic, employment, and entire personal history including fingerprint check with appropriate law enforcement agencies)

MEDICAL PROCESS
Offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a medical examination. The medical examination consists of a drug & alcohol screening, Mantoux test, stress and psychological evaluations.  The medical examination is conducted to determine the candidate’s ability to perform the essential functions of a NJ TRANSIT Police Officer.

SALARY
$53,788.80 Non-Certified * (Attending Police Academy)

$62,025.60 NJ PTC Certified

SCHEDULE
4 on 3 off schedule 10 hr days.

BENEFITS
Each full-time sworn member will receive benefits in accordance with the current contract. These benefits include a major medical health plan, a prescription medication plan, dental insurance, and a group life insurance as part of the Police & Fire Retirement System.

Applicants who successfully complete all of the evaluation components are subject to a one-year probation from date of employment.  Candidates will be assigned to a sixteen-week Field Training Program after graduation from a certified Police Academy or after date of hire for candidates that have passed the Basic Training Course for Police Officer.  As a NJ TRANSIT Police Officer, location of assignments varies according to the operational needs. All sworn officers of the NJ TRANSIT Police Department are fully certified by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, Police Training Commission.

Note:
Candidates DO NOT have to be residents of the State of New Jersey Candidates MUST be able to travel throughout the state of NJ. Candidates who do not report their complete background record may be disqualified.

Fairfield Police Officer Shot Multiple Times

Published February 1, 2010

FAIRFIELD — Before he was shot by at least two men in a Dodge Magnum, Fairfield police officer Gerald Veneziano gave a colleague the car’s license plate number — a piece of evidence authorities are hoping will be the assailants’ undoing.

The black Magnum with at least two men inside was parked just a few blocks from police headquarters, in an industrial park on Fairfield Road, when it caught Veneziano’s eye as the officer drove to work Saturday night. Acting on his suspicions, authorities said, Veneziano called the station to run a license plate check.

Less than five minutes later, the 26-year-old officer lay at the curb, partially conscious and suffering from multiple gunshots. The Magnum had vanished — but, authorities said, not before Veneziano got off some rounds.

Star-Ledger fileFairfield police officer Gerald Veneziano, 26, was shot multiple times Saturday evening on his way to work in Fairfield.Detailing the calamitous encounter, acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert Laurino today said several law enforcement agencies have formed a task force and launched a massive manhunt to find the people who shot Veneziano. The officer remained hospitalized tonight in critical but stable condition at University Hospital in Newark.

“The tragic events that have unfolded ... show how unpredictable and how dangerous it is to be a police officer in this country,’’ the prosecutor said during a press conference at Fairfield town hall.

Veneziano, a three-year police veteran, came upon the car at 300 Fairfield Road around 6:15 p.m. Saturday, Laurino said. The patrolman rang headquarters on his cell phone, but the officer he reached was unable to run the Magnum’s plate at that moment because of an unrelated emergency.

Veneziano, who was not in uniform, got out of his silver Volkswagen Passat and approached the Magnum, the acting prosecutor said. Beyond saying “there was some type of motor vehicle incident,’’ Laurino would not detail what prompted Veneziano to become suspicious or why he approached the vehicle.

After the shots were fired, 911 calls came in, the prosecutor said. Officers arrived to find their co-worker on the ground, but Laurino would not say how many times Veneziano was struck.

Authorities initially said he was hit multiple times in the abdomen, leg and torso. Veneziano was not wearing a bullet-proof vest.

The also prosecutor declined to say how many shots Veneziano fired or whether he struck his assailants.

Laurino said besides providing the plate number, Veneziano gave police a description of the car, noting it had tinted windows and was occupied by at least two men. He would not say whether the Magnum’s license plate was a New Jersey tag or if authorities were able to track down the vehicle’s owner.

At least one lead did not pan out today. Somerset County Prosecutor Wayne Forrest said an anonymous caller reported seeing a car matching the Magnum’s description driving through the Somerset section of Franklin Township. He said patrol cars were dispatched and the New Jersey State Police used a helicopter to search by air, but they could not locate the vehicle.

Off-duty Fairfield police officer called suspect’s license plate before being shot
Laurino said in addition to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the task force includes the county sheriff’s office, the Fairfield and Newark police departments and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office.

A Belleville resident, Veneziano is the first police officer in the 73-year history of the Fairfield force to be shot, township Police Chief Charles Voelker Jr. said.

Voelker called Veneziano a ‘‘very amiable and likeable young man’’ who he said had received several commendations. He said the officer had been a dispatcher for two years before joining the force.

The chief credited the “quick action” of three police officers with saving Veneziano’s life.

On Belleville’s Norton Street, where Veneziano grew up in a two-story brick home, neighbors said Veneziano is an only child who attended Seton Hall Prep and the Essex County Police Academy.

Rosemarie Catalfamo, a family friend and next-door neighbor, said she often told Veneziano she was concerned for him.

‘‘I would say to him ‘If you see trouble, get away fast,’’’ she said. ‘‘He’d say, ‘But that’s my job. I have to do it,’” Catalfamo said.

Authorities said $35,000 in rewards are being offered for information leading to the arrest and convictions of those who shot Veneziano. Those with information are asked to call Fairfield police at (973) 227-1400.