Policing - Ledger - Edison: Professional Standards program to identify officers with problems

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Published in the Star-Ledger, Sunday, June 4, 2006

Edison mayor takes lead on the police
Choi creates program to identify officers with problems

Sunday, June 04, 2006

BY TOM HAYDON AND SULEMAN DIN
Star-Ledger Staff

Edison Mayor Jun Choi was patiently waiting for state review of his police department before making any changes, but after an off-duty officer was arrested and charged with waving his gun at another man last month, Choi's patience ran out.

On Friday, Choi announced the creation of a "professional standards unit," augmenting the existing internal affairs operation to, in part, identify officers with problems and deal with them before they affect the job or embarrass the force.

Currently Edison has two lieutenants, a sergeant assigned to internal affairs investigation, but Choi wants to add a captain to oversee that work and supervise new "proactive" unit, the mayor said.

Edison police have been stung by a series of embarrassing incidents in the past year, most recently with the May 25 arrest of Officer Alan Farkus, a five-year veteran who was charged with aggravated assault after he allegedly waved his gun at an emergency medical technician outside the Clara Barton First Aid Squad on Amboy Avenue the previous night.

Steve Cahn, the attorney representing Farkus, said the incident occurred as squad members were horsing around, and that Farkus never approached or threatened the EMT. Farkus, who was off-duty, was immediately suspended from the force with pay.

In January, during his first week as mayor, Choi announced that the state Department of Community Affairs would examine the police department, but the study won't be done until next month.

"I was waiting for an independent review, but I've decided to move much more expediently," Choi said. "These are long-standing issues rooted in cronyism and a lack of accountability. These problems are going to take a long time to resolve, years," he said.

In one incident in July 2005, a police officer was arrested, along with a friend, when witnesses reported seeing both of them naked in a window of an Ocean City, Md., hotel, according to police.

A Maryland judge dismissed the charges against officer David Sal- ardino, 32, after he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and served one day of probation. Salardino is back on the job. His friend was cleared of all charges.

In another incident, an officer was suspended without pay and another was put on desk duty after they were charged with assault for getting into a barroom brawl while off-duty.

Two South Plainfield residents filed assault charges against officer Clinton Vickery, 28, and Sgt. Alex Glinsky, 42, in connection with the Aug. 25, 2005, incident at JB's Tavern on Woodbridge Avenue in Edison.

Vickery was charged with aggravated assault, while Glinsky was charged with simple assault. The charge against Glinsky was dropped after Evan Werrlein admitted he wrongly identified the officer as the one who struck him.

In December, a Middlesex County grand jury indicted Vickery, 27, on charges of attacking Werrlein and another man, Jonathan Mackenzie, for no apparent reason. The charge is pending.

In September, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office announced that three Edison officers faced disciplinary charges for covering up an accident in which an off-duty officer ran naked from a car accident.

The officer, Ioannis Mpletsakis, is being tried in municipal court in Dunellen on charges of leaving the scene of an accident, hindering his apprehension, and assault with an auto because his car hit a truck and a man in the truck was injured.

Police Chief George Mieczkowski said the embarrassing incidents resulted from "a culture that's been going on here for a long time."

The new unit will also examine police department operations to ensure policies are being followed, Mieczkowski said.

Choi called it "a new focus for the entire police department."

When he was running for office last year, Choi said the police department needed strong leadership to increase accountability and discipline.

Edison PBA President Michael Schwarz called the professional standards unit a good idea.

"If this new division can intervene in problems with officers before there are embarrassing incidents for the department and careers are ruined, then I support it," Schwarz said. "As long as it's legal and doesn't infringe on the rights of officers."

"We acknowledge the police department has had problems in the past," Schwarz said. "These are officers off-duty, with personal issues, and we'd welcome an alleviation of these incidents."

In addition to unveiling the unit, Choi announced six police promotions, including the appointment of Lt. Matthew Freeman as captain.

Also promoted was Capt. Ronald Gerba, 63, a 38-year member of the force, to deputy chief, succeeding the recently retired Deputy Chief Brent Papi.

Choi recommended Freeman, a 19-year veteran, be put in charge of the professional standards unit. Mieczkowski, who has the authority to make assignments, said he has yet to decide how many officers would be in the unit.

Schwarz said he was happy for all the officers who received promotions. But the move by Choi, he said, was "perplexing" because of the administration's earlier warnings of a fiscal crisis facing Edison.

"I guess the township is financially stable," Schwarz said.

Choi said each of the officers who were promoted waived any pay increase at least until January 2007, when the next fiscal year begins.

Choi has made several cuts, including the elimination of the Mounted Police Patrol and re-assigning police vehicles used by the two deputy chiefs and seven captains, as part of a larger effort to cut costs in the face of what the township says is an anticipated $10.1 million deficit.

Lt. John Dauber, 43, with 21 years of service, was also promoted to captain, and sergeants Anthony Marcantuono, 39; and Joseph Shannon, 43, were promoted to lieutenants, and Patrolman Thomas Goshkagarinan, 43, was promoted to sergeant.

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