"JC is set to receive an unprecedented $12.5 million federal grant to overhaul its aging communications system.  Police officers have long complained that their communications technology is behind the times, from walkie-talkies that consistently hit "dead spots" throughout the city to old radio transmitters.  Much of the department's communications equipment is analog and over 20 years old."    Schundler was mayor for 9 years.... 

Instead of the Police Director's spot, Rev RL Williams was then appointed Director of the Department of Public Works, Deputy Mayor and President of the JC Public Library Board!   Within 4 weeks of his appointment to the Library Board, Rev RL Williams charged $40,000 to his Library paid AMEX credit card for " T&E" at various NYC topless bars. He was arrested in May 1994 and pleaded guilty in December 1994 for that and having city employees on city time using city parts repair his personal automobile. Guess he thought it was his right as Director of the Dept of Public Works. He was finally fired. He received 5 years probation, 3 months house arrest, a month on a work gang, $40,000 restitution, and 1,000 hours community service. The Library's director Stephen Welch accompanied Rev RL Williams to the topless bars and also was charged for misuse of City funds. His  outcome I never read.

Now for the low down on some of the events that have been going on in the police department….

April 2001, "Study: Jersey City in top 5 for US auto theft", (Jersey Journal, April 11, 2001 - Detroit AP article).  "About two-thirds of the 25 metropolitan areas with the highest rates of vehicle theft last year were at near US borders, reflecting a thriving international trade for pilfered autos..."  So what's Schundler's excuse   for JC being number 5 in the NATION??  Maybe Schundler's mismanagement of the JC Police Department and a general state of lawlessness on the streets???  ( Stats from the National Insurance Crime Bureau)              Update:  January 2002 statistics released show Jersey City now number 4 in the nation!

April 2001, "Hudson Crime up, bucks state trend",  ( Jersey Journal, April 4, 2001- Journal Staff ).   "Crime in Hudson County rose slightly in the first half of last year, with one more murder committed in 2000 than during the same period in 1999, while the state rate dipped by 7%, according to statistics released yesterday."  "the number of burglaries in Hudson County rose to 2,385 from 2,187 and motor vehicle thefts jumped to 2,302 from 2,163 in the first half of 1999.  In total, the number of nonviolent crimes increased to 10,093  from 9,706."  Jersey City has over 50% of the residents of the County and the most car thefts.  While the State and nation are going down for eight years ( and this includes NYC) Jersey City continues up!   Thanks Bret!  REMEMBER ALL THIS WHEN SCHUNDLER LIES & SAYS JERSEY CITY CRIME IS DOWN UNDER HIS ADMINISTRATION.... THE REST OF THE NATION IS BUT NOT JERSEY CITY!

June 2001, "The outgoing Jersey City police brass elevated 10 officers to detective yesterday in a move the city's future leadership called "wrong," "unfair" and a mockery of the selection process.

In March 2000, a civilian supervisor in the Police Department's fiscal office filed a grievance through her union that she saw overtime records from 1994 to 1996 being shredded. Shortly thereafter, in June 2000, Captain William J. Thynne of the JC Police Dept. retired after Schundler tried to push him out for speaking up against the shredding of police OT records. He had been Police Chief for 3 years. Even though the city is under state control due to its "Distressed Cities" status, Schundler & Police Director Moriarty in March 1997 promoted 14 officers to the rank of sergeant without prior state approval/ waiver. Schundler claimed that the promotions would reduce OT for the dept but couldn't prove it.

" And the director did not deny that once some promotions were to be made, he felt political pressure to keep making promotions until he got to some politically recommended people far down the list." "Moriarty indicated that by making sure he included in the group of promoted officers people recommended by allies or supporters of Mayor Bret Schundler, he was aiming to protect Schundler administration policies." (JJ 11/13/97 Editorial) The politically recommended people far down the list were Schundler & Council President DeGise political fundraisers, the guys who sell those $500 and $1000 tickets.

Tom Damm, spokesman for the state Department of Community Affairs said, "It's another sign of bad faith from the mayor's office at a time when it's trying to convince the Legislature that it needs an additional $16 million." Consequently, the State decided that only 5 would be allowed and the remaining 9 promotions were invalid and the officers were demoted.

Schundler "the reformer" was copying what former Mayor Gerald McCann did in 1992 when the city, as usual, was facing a major budget crunch. McCann wanted to get his good buddy, the former police director, promoted before McCann was forced from office.  Those 54 promotions prompted me to do the research on the police department, mass produce post cards which were distributed all over the city and have people send them off to all the council people to stop the promotions and address the lack of street coverage. Schundler's campaign distributed hundreds of those cards and pledged to do a search for an experienced, competent police director and we who do we get… RL Williams and then Moriarty!

The topic below is from Yvonne Balcer's web site, LINK

Occasionally, my viewers give me stories in which the source must be anonymous.  This story falls into that category.

This entry tells about an internal memo within the Jersey City Police Department, dated December 14, 1999.   In that memo a Jersey City Police Officer brings to the attention of a superior that they were experiencing radio difficulties on their respective channels.  Field units couldn't hear transmissions and dispatchers had difficulties hearing field units.  The microwave also failed several times on all 4 channels. This problem was reported to Motorola but Motorola did not give a response time for correcting the problem.

This problem was also brought to the attention of the Schundler appointed civilian head of the Public Safety Tele-Communicator office.  What liabilities would dispatchers incurred if  police officers experience severe injuries or need dire assistance but their calls were not heard due to the radio?  The Schundler appointed civilian responded by saying if "...that happens, and the officer dies, we roll him over, drop his pants, and kiss his ass goodbye, then we bury him.    Furthermore, there, is nothing else I can say or do, because Motorola is aware of the problem."

This chilling response by a Schundler appointee speaks volumes for itself and needs no further comment."

The antiquated radio system needs replacing.  As taller buildings pop up throughout the city, the radio system goes dead in various parts.  It's a real danger that can cost human lives that is not being addressed.. 

Roughly 25%  of the 600 daily radio calls go dead!!!!  How long will it be before a police office gets killed due to his radio going dead when calling for assistance/back-up?  Schundler has wasted MILLIONS on his Ethnic Parades, color brochures mailed out to city residents, patronage but can't spend the money to arm each police officer with a working radio??  How irrational and corrupt is this guy??? 

"Police union wins again… Dispute costs the city $1.25 M", reads the front page 3/13/97 JJ article by Stan Eason. " The Jersey City police supervisor officers union has been whipping the administration the last two years in all of its legal battles. Now the latest body blow could cost taxpayers at least $1.25 million…..The 170-member union, composed of the ranking officers of the 800-member department are entitled to an average of 23 days compensation for days they worked when Police Michael Moriarty changed the police department's work schedule without negotiating with the union leadership, according to PERC." Moriarty is an attorney….

Statistics for crime released in May 2000 for 1999 showed car theft rose in Jersey City despite a drop around the nation. FBI statistics released showed crime overall rose 1.2 percent in JC in 1999. Car theft rose 10.4 percent while it decreased by 8 percent across the nation. Arson rose 17.8 percent and the other categories showed slight decreases. In May 1998, Schundler vents on the air that he would file suit against the National Crime Insurance Bureau for reporting that JC had the highest car theft rates in the country. Using FBI and State Police data, they tagged JC as the nations' car theft capital for 1996, when one of every 36 registered cars was reported stolen. In 1996 JC had 3,494 reported car thefts. " The NICB has never been sued for defamation in the five years it has been doing the study." (JJ 5/15/98) In November 1996, Money magazine, using 1995 FBI crime stats, ranked Jersey City 170^th out of 202 cities in terms of safety. We ranked more dangerous than New York City, 132^nd. In 1999, Esquire featured Jersey City as the "Car Theft" capital of the world.

"Top cops to face grand jury" reads the headline on the cover of the Jersey Journal 12/6/1996. "Top Jersey City police brass have been subpoenaed by a state grand jury probing the police car pound Scandal"…Consequently Police Chief Brian Anglin stepped down as the city's top cop. "State police raided the car pound in November 1995 after they found officers and their friends and family members driving around in stolen or impounded cars." "State police investigators have charged that certified letters were not sent to the owners of recovered cars - or deliberately sent to wrong addresses- so police could take ownership of the cars after 30 days." " In a spin-off investigation, the Attorney General's office is probing a security firm owned by JC police officers. Investigators have alleged that the firm, Class Inc., used cars taken from the pound " which did not have a private detective license, which is required by state law and bars active cops in NJ from obtaining one. Chief Anglin worked for Class Inc. on a security detail as did dozens of other officers." The investigation has shown little progress since 1996. Why??? Where are the State Police?

Source:  One of the many ads placed by the JC Police Superior Officers Association

"Look out! City has 13 of the top 100 most dangerous streets in New Jersey, but didn't apply for a dime of available state aid to make them safer" headlines Jim Kennelly's JC Reporter 4/25/99 article. "…NJ DOT sources confirm that the city government didn't apply for a dime of the $1.5 million in state funding set aside in the state's FY 1999 budget to help municipalities make their streets more pedestrian-safe, as (Greg) Meyers pointed out to a recent letter to Mayor Schundler… Jersey City was second only to Newark in the number of pedestrian injuries counted by the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety from 1993-1995…Last year three pedestrians were killed and 445 injured by motor vehicles in Jersey City." Greg Mayer is a JC resident and worked with CRAJAE (see NEIGHBORHOODS FIGHTING CITY HALL ) in fighting the Jersey Avenue extension.

As a result of the July 1994 downsizing of police & fire, the City (taxpayers) in 1997 was billed $28.1 million for additional fire & police pension costs which Schundler bonded for 36 years at 5.9% annually! The payments come to about $138,000 per retiree plus the 5.9% annual interest costs. Money just thrown away. The firefighters and police officers age 47 and older with 20 years of service got to retire five years earlier with full pension benefits. JJ 2/20/97- "Both in 1993 and again this week, Jersey City officials said the buyout was not intended as a major cost-savings measure, but allowed them to bring new blood to the forces. Thomas Gallagher, spokesman for Mayor Bret Schundler, defended the buyout, saying it coincided with a change in the table of organization that reduced the number of higher-paid officers."

"Tom Bell, president of the Jersey City PBA, tells a different story. He says most of the affected officers took an early retirement the state pension system was offering in 1994, then returned to work in civilian posts, along with additional civilians hired to work along with them.

"It was a boondoggle," said Bell. "For each officer that retired and came back, they hired additional civilians to give jobs to his supporters, so they actually increased the payroll for the department."  (Largest police union endorses McGreevey , 8/22/01, By WENDY RUDERMAN, Trenton Bureau-Bergen Record )

By August 1994 the Police department shrank to 767 officers, the second lowest since 1945. In January 1994, when Michael Moriarty was appointed, there were 851 officers and in the 70s' and 80s' there were on average 930 officers on the force.

Just recently in February 2001, the City Council approved the "settlement of a $1.15 Million federal lawsuit resulting to the 1995 death of a 22-year old man following an altercation with an off-duty police officer. Julio Tarquinto died shortly after being hit over the head while handcuffed by former Jersey City Police Officer John Chiusolo, who is currently serving nine years in state prison." ( JJ 1/27/01) Police officer Chiusolo had a history of civilian complaints but the top brass ignored the warnings. Police Director Moriarty, who was appointed in 1994, is responsible for the operations of the department but the buck ends with Schundler who appointed Moriarty.

The February 20, 1998, JJ cover story "11 held in fraud scheme" reports "A pair of Jersey City doctors and three civilian employees of the Jersey City Police department were among 11 people arrested yesterday in a 13-month investigation into insurance fraud, bribery, theft and official misconduct, officials said." The NJ Division of Insurance Fraud and the Special investigation Unit of the Hudson County Prosecutor's office handled the investigation. Where's the police Internal Affairs and management? Where are the controls? Once again the buck ends with Schundler who appointed Moriarty.

In April 1998, the City settled a 5-year-old, sexual harassment suit against the JC Police Department by 5 female cops for $500,000 plus hefty legal fees. City Counsel Sean Connelly " said the city has spent only $400,000 so the case so far, the City Council is expected to approve a resolution tomorrow allocating $100,000 more in legal fees connected to the case. … According to the resolution, that would bring the total to $790,000." (JJ 4/21/98) The Roseland law firm of Lum, Danzis, Drasco, Positan & Kleinberg was one of Mayor Schundler's top contributors to his re-election campaign in 1997 and they handled the case. (JJ 12/26/97) This settlement was in addition to a jury award for Police Sgt. Megargel in her suit. She was awarded $80,000 and the cost of her attorney fees estimated at $150,000! Schundler must have selected her attorney.. "Moriarty said reforms in the department have been made so that incidents of the kind the women alleged in their lawsuits never occur again, including a new policy stating that one incident of sexual harassment will warrant immediate dismissal from the force." (JJ 4/21/98)

In May 1999 Russell Wallace, a member of the City's Ethical Standard Board, was convicted of first-degree sexual assault of a teenage girl, two counts of sexual assault in the second degree, child abuse, and endangering the welfare of a child. "As his trial neared, not only did Mayor Bret Schundler's administration fail to get him to leave the unpaid ethics board position or his unpaid position as a Jersey City Redevelopment Agency commissioner, but about six weeks ago Wallace actually got a paid job with the Jersey City Police Department as a civilian dispatcher." (JJ Editorial 5/12/99)

"Dispatcher attacked by cop to get $50,000 from city" …"Police Officer John Wilczewski was penalized only three compensatory days by the city for grabbing a female co-worked from behind as she bent over a water cooler and sexually assaulting her in October 1992…. City officials now say their three-day penalty was too lenient…. The federal complaint charged that the department failed to establish an effective means of addressing sexual harassment complaints…. Police Director Michael Moriarty, who was not with the city at the time of the incident, said the department has since instituted changes in its sexual harassment policy to prevent such incidents…. " (JJ 3/14/97) See above..

In November 1997, the JJ reported " Third of cop cars in shop". At that time, 26 of approximately 45-50 marked radio cars were out for repairs. Announced mayor-wanna-be, Kevin Sluka, self styled "Millennium Man 2001", heads the Department of Public Works, which is responsible for maintaining all city vehicles. He also controls the repaving of city streets…. Pothole Jersey City… Once again it's an issue of priorities with Schundler…. mechanics to fix police cars or an increase in the Mayor's office of $100,000 just for Public Information. What information? Must be for all the Schundler paid-by-taxpayers mailings…

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