TRENTON – New Jersey law enforcement officers who were subject to “major disciplinary action” in 2023 were identified, along with their infractions, by the state Attorney General’s Office on Wednesday.
In the 2023 reporting year, the most frequently occurring offense as indicated in the summaries related to attendance, including lateness and call-outs too close to the start of a shift. There were 538 major disciplines from 167 agencies, involving 460 unique officers statewide. Pending cases are not included in this data, according to the office.
At the Shore, a total of 35 law enforcement officers and two police academy recruits were either disciplined or lost their jobs last year; 23 in Monmouth and 12 in Ocean. The two recruits were training to become corrections officers in the Ocean County Jail in Toms River.
The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office had the most disciplinary issues of any law enforcement agency in Monmouth or Ocean counties in 2023. Ten of its officers in its Corrections Division at the Monmouth County Jail in Freehold Township and three officers assigned to the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold or to other duties, were cited in the annual report.
Many of the disciplinary actions reported among officers in Monmouth and Ocean were suspensions that resulted from issues such as insubordination or neglect of duty, while others included allegations of criminal wrongdoing that made headlines in 2023, such as the case of Manalapan Patrolman Kevin Ruditsky, who was charged last year with stalking and illegally detaining a 16-year-old girl investigators said he had become infatuated with.
“The information released (Wednesday) reflects our commitment to increasing accountability in policing,” said state Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “For the first time since information regarding major disciplinary actions has been made public, we have made significant changes to the requirements by expanding the information provided. Increased transparency helps increase confidence in law enforcement, leading to greater public safety.”
The release is part of the Attorney General’s ongoing effort to increase transparency and public access to information about police discipline and use of force, the office said in a prepared statement.
For the first time in this report, information is being released about certain forms of misconduct regardless of the type or severity of the discipline imposed on the officer, including sustained findings of the following:
Discrimination or bias against any person because of the individual’s actual or perceived race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, affectional or sexual orientation, genetic information, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, nationality, familial status, or any other protected characteristic;
Excessive force in violation of departmental policy or the Attorney General’s Use of Force Policy;
Untruthfulness or demonstrating a lack of candor;
Filing a false report or submitting a false certification in any criminal, administrative, employment, financial, or insurance matter in their professional or personal life;
Intentionally conducting an improper search, seizure or arrest;
Intentionally mishandling or destroying evidence; or
Committing an act of domestic violence.
As in previous years, this release also includes information about officers who were suspended for more than five days, demoted, or terminated the prior year. The revised major discipline definition also includes any officer who:
resigned, retired, transferred or separated from the agency, regardless of the reason, while any internal affairs investigation or complaint was pending, and the misconduct ultimately sustained fell within the categories above or if the misconduct would have resulted in a suspension of more than five days, demotion, or termination had the member not separated from the agency; or
was charged with any indictable crime under New Jersey or an equivalent offense under federal law or the law of another jurisdiction related to the complaint.
New Jersey law enforcement agencies must submit major discipline reporting forms to the Attorney General’s Office annually for review, compilation and analysis by the Office of Justice Data and the Office of Public Integrity and Accountability.
The reports contain the names of officers subjected to major discipline, along with synopses describing the misconduct in sufficient detail so that readers unfamiliar with a case may fully understand the factual scenario that resulted in the disciplinary action.
A breakdown of the data from Monmouth and Ocean counties in 2023:
Monmouth County
Deal Police: Patrolman Jeff Kless was suspended for 66 days after a finding that the officer was untruthful. During an internal affairs investigation, Kless was questioned about off‐duty weapons stored at his residence. The officer claimed to possess no additional weapons at his home. However, a subsequent investigation revealed his statement to be inaccurate. The officer chose to resign during a disciplinary hearing, before a final decision could be rendered by the hearing officer. Prior to the hearing, the officer had been suspended with pay.
Howell Police: Patrolman Brett Kyle was suspended twice in separate incidents for 15 days each for failure to take proper police action; harsh conduct towards members of the public; failure to properly conduct a domestic violence investigation; failure to provide domestic violence rights and afford relief to a victim. Kyle responded to a call for service involving a reported domestic violence situation. While on the call, he acted in an unprofessional manner and spoke harshly to both the victim and the accused. The victim alleged two acts of domestic violence had occurred, to which Kyle outright dismissed. The victim then asked to apply for a restraining order, to which Kyle told her that she was not entitled to one. Kyle did not properly investigate the call or file the proper domestic violence reporting requirements that are required by department policy and state mandates. In the second incident, Kyle was again suspended for 15 days when he failed to activate his body-worn camera while conducting an unspecified investigation.
Long Branch Police: Officer Dana Page was suspended for 10 days for conduct unbecoming a public employee and failure to perform duties. On Aug. 16, 2022, Page left 30 minutes before the end of an assigned shift without authorization. Upon further investigation, it was discovered Page had left work early without authorization on numerous previous occasions.
Manalapan Police: Patrolman Kevin Ruditsky was suspended without pay following an investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office into alleged inappropriate interactions with a 16-year‐old girl. Ruditksy has been charged with second‐degree endangering the welfare of a child, second‐degree official misconduct, third‐degree computer theft, third‐degree hindering apprehension, fourth‐degree stalking and false imprisonment, which is a disorderly persons offense.
Middletown Police: Cpl. Robert McNair was suspended after he was ordered to submit a urine sample as part of a reasonable suspicion drug test. The results of the urinalysis showed that McNair tested positive for androstenediol, androstenedione or testosterone that had not been prescribed by a physician and would not have been produced by a medical issue.
Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office: Corrections Officer Stephanie Welch was suspended for 10 days for unprofessional behavior. On Sept. 25, 2022, Welch was found to be in violation of the uniform policy. Welch was ordered by her superior to correct the issue, which she refused and behaved unprofessionally.
Corrections Officer Benjamin Markus was suspended for 30 days for being in possession of a mobile phone in a secure area of the Monmouth County Jail in Freehold Township, where no phones were allowed, resulting in a security breach on Dec. 30, 2022. Markus would eventually be terminated over a separate matter stemming from an incident two weeks earlier. On or about Dec. 16, 2022, Markus disclosed an internal report containing confidential and sensitive information to a non‐authorized person.
Corrections Officer David‐John Leventhal resigned on March 14, 2023, after he was suspected of submitting a fictitious document regarding a personal matter on Feb. 24, 2023. The officer quit before disciplinary action could be taken.
Corrections Officer John Dixon was suspended for six days for insubordination. On Jan. 11, 2023, Dixon refused direct orders from his superior and argued with him in clear view of the superior officer’s subordinates and inmates at the jail.
Corrections Officer Jeremy Berenger resigned on Sept. 19, 2023, after he was suspected of violating policies and procedures at the jail regarding the safe handling of firearms within a secure perimeter on May 11, 2023. The officer quit before disciplinary action could be taken.
Corrections Officer John Schultz was suspended for 30 days for being in possession of a mobile phone in a secure area of the jail, where no phones were allowed, resulting in a security breach on Aug. 18, 2023.
Corrections Officer Jose Tirado was suspended for 30 days for being in possession of a mobile phone in a secure area of the jail, where no phones were allowed, resulting in a security breach on Aug. 10, 2023.
Corrections Officer Latonya Johnson forfeited her employment after she was arrested and criminally charged with providing an electronic communication device to an inmate on Jan. 23, 2023, resulting in a security breach at the jail. A court order terminated her position on Oct. 16, 2023. Johnson had been suspended immediately upon her arrest.
Corrections Officer Samuel Marriott was suspended for six days when he failed to properly inventory inmate barber equipment before issuring it to an inmate for use, resulting in a security breach at the jail on Sept. 11, 2023.
Corrections Officer Michael Niedbala was suspended for 20 days after he lost his department-issued aerosol restraint on Oct. 1, 2023, and failed to report the missing equipment in accordance with official policy.
Sheriff’s Officer Richard Coppinger was terminated after he reported late for work at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold on June 15, 2023. When Coppinger arrived at 8:50 a.m., he appeared disheveled, unsteady and unshaven while in uniform and carrying his service weapon. Based on reasonable suspicion, Coppinger was disarmed and subjected to two tests to determine possible alcohol intoxication, which both determined a blood-alcohol content level of 0.22%. During a subsequent interview, Coppinger admitted to consuming 12 beers between 8 p.m. the previous evening and 2 a.m. that morning. He was given a drug screening test consistent with reasonable suspicion rules. The results provided by the New Jersey State Toxicology Laboratory showed a positive test for 11‐Carboxy‐THC (the active ingredient in cannabis).
Sheriff’s Office Lt. Elijah Moore was suspended for 45 days for creating a hostile work environment. In June 2023, Moore targeted a specific officer by talking negatively about them to their peers and spreading false rumors to other staff. Moore also accused the officer of stealing time. During an investigation, Moore’s accusations against the officer were determined to be false. Moore was determined to have been untruthful during his interview and breached confidentiality when he discussed personnel matters involving another subordinate officer.
Sheriff’s Officer Haaris Ahmad was terminated for engaging in sexual activities while on duty. In the summer of 2023, Ahmad began a friendship with a Monmouth County employee. This friendship started out as flirting via text message and then rapidly progressed into sexual content being sent by Ahmad to this employee. This sexual content was in the form of photos and a video that was never requested. In fact, after Ahmad sent the photos and video, he was asked to stop. On two occasions, Ahmad was found to have engaged in prohibited sexual activities while on duty.
Neptune Police: Officer Ryan Chippendale was suspended for 91 days after he arrested a subject for disorderly conduct without just cause and applied physical force during the arrest process. Chippendale violated several sections of use of force procedures and department rules by failing to de-escalate the situation and for failing to report the physical force he applied.
Oceanport Police: Officer Glenn Mannino resigned from the department during an internal affairs investigation into misconduct that was referred to the Prosecutor’s Office for criminal review. After Mannino quit the department, he pleaded guilty in Municipal Court to harassment through offensive touching, at which time he also forfeited future public employment. The matter was related to an incident in which Mannino inappropriately touched a female subject whom he had pulled over during a motor vehicle stop.
Rumson Police: Patrolman Timothy Lackner was terminated on Oct. 10, 2023, for making a derogatory comment about the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community that was indirectly aimed at a civilian in the lobby of police headquarters. The offensive remark was made while Lackner was on duty in the dispatch center. An internal complaint was made and a department investigation confirmed the allegation.
Sea Bright Police: Cpl. Erich Bennett was terminated after he tested positive for illegal drugs during the course of an internal affairs investigation into a domestic violence incident. Bennett was sentenced to five years in state prison in December after he admitted to a series of crimes against his ex-girlfriend, including stalking, disabling security cameras on her home and slashing her car tires. Bennett pleaded guilty to third-degree computer theft, third-degree criminal mischief, fourth-degree hindering apprehension and fourth-degree stalking.
Wall Police: Sgt. James Cadigan was terminated after he admitted stealing $91,486 from the local Policemen’s Benevolent Association (he was its former president), and $24,153 from the Wall American Youth Football, a Pop Warner organization where he was a coach. In March, Cadigan was sentenced to five years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of theft.
Ocean County
Beach Haven Police: Sgt. Andrew Wahlberg agreed to forfeit his public employment on Feb. 6, 2023, when he entered into a pretrial intervention program, after he was charged with endangering the welfare of a child following an incident in which a minor took possession of the officer’s personal firearm, which Wahlberg had left unsecured in his home.
Berkeley Police: Patrolman Joshua Foca was suspended for 90 days after he was arrested in Barnegat for driving while intoxicated in March 2022. Foca was off duty and driving his personal motor vehicle at the time he was charged.
Brick Police: Patrolman Chase Carter falsely indicated in his daily patrol logs that the required body-worn camera checks were completed when he had completed seven out of 40 such checks. Carter’s current status was not listed.
Island Heights Police: Detective Matthew Curtis resigned after he was indicted on charges of providing a false report to law enforcement authorities, contempt of a judicial or protective order, and being a certain person prohibited from possessing a weapon. He had been suspended for 327 days prior to quitting his job. Curtis was charged with the crimes in February 2023, which stemmed from allegedly violating the terms of a temporary restraining order filed against him on May 11, 2022. At the time of the order, the detective surrendered a number of personal weapons to law enforcement. Two days later, he signed a letter advising the authorities that he had sold three handguns registered to him prior to the restraining order and therefore no longer owned those weapons. On Dec. 11, 2022, Curtis reported to Little Egg Harbor police that three handguns were stolen from his personal vehicle parked in front of his home — which he had left unlocked. An investigation determined that one of those handguns was a weapon he claimed to have sold prior to the issuance of the restraining order seven months earlier.
Lakewood Police: Officer Dawry DeSangles was suspended for six days for neglect of duty after he failed to serve a temporary restraining order to both the suspect and the victim in a domestic violence case on May 27, 2023.
In a separate matter on July 18, 2023, DeSangles was again suspended for six days — this time for insubordination — while working a sexual assault investigation after he was instructed by his sergeant to maintain visual contact of a possible suspect. However, DeSangles was told not to approach the suspect unless otherwise instructed. A short time later, DeSangles disregarded the instruction of his supervisor and made physical contact with the person of interest.
Lakewood Officer Louis Vadino III was suspended for nine days for neglect of duty after he responded to a call about a violation of a temporary restraining order and allowed the subject who had violated the order to leave the scene. The offender then returned to the scene a short time later. Again, Vadino failed to arrest the subject and took the individual to a local hospital instead. Vadino’s supervisor discovered the transgression and corrected the matter.
Long Beach Township Police: In early 2023, Patrolman Jason Hildebrant retired two days before he was charged with stealing more than $67,000 from the Ocean County Conference of the New Jersey PBA — which represents police officers in 26 local units of the PBA throughout the county. Hildebrant was charged with theft by failure to make required disposition.
Ocean County Department of Corrections: Recruit Marc Pierre was dismissed from the police academy on July 7, 2023, after he was criminally charged with invasion of privacy in an off-duty incident in which police said he had unlawfully photographed and filmed nude images without the consent of his victim.
Recruit Joseph Boyle was dismissed from the police academy on July 17, 2023, after he used derogatory and biased comments toward a fellow recruit while in a restricted area without permission. Boyle also failed to immediately report serious rule infractions to an instructor, interfered with a subsequent investigation and misrepresented information during that investigation.
Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office: Detective Michael Proto was suspended for 180 days for conduct unbecoming after he violated a temporary restraining order that had been issued against him on July 29, 2022. While the criminal charge for violating the order was dismissed, an administrative charge for violating the policy of the Prosecutor’s Office was sustained.
Sgt. Melissa Rose was suspended for eight days for conduct unbecoming after she was involved in a dispute in Lacey that necessitated a local police response on July 4, 2023. While Rose was not at fault in the matter, her behavior toward the township police officers at the scene was described as “unprofessional in that she was uncooperative, dismissive and behaved inconsistent with the officers’ lawful requests.” As a consequence of her behavior, Rose was administratively charged for violating the policy of the Prosecutor’s Office for conduct unbecoming, which was sustained.
Point Pleasant Police: Detective Sgt. Josh Gunnell, who was in charge of the department’s detective bureau, agreed to resign after he was observed in a self‐checkout lane at the Brick Walmart not scanning all of the items in his cart before leaving the store on June 25, 2023. Further investigation determined that Gunnell had been caught in similar circ*mstances twice before. The amount of the items taken in all three shoplifting incidents amounted to more than $200. A conditional dismissal of one shoplifting charge and the outright dismissal of the two others was ordered after Gunnell agreed to quit his job.
South Toms River Police: Patrolman Antonio Caprara was suspended for 10 days after he was caught sleeping while on duty at the South Toms River Elementary School on Sept. 19, 2023. A video had been provided to the officer’s superiors of Capara slumbering in his patrol vehicle in the parking lot. The department said the officer had also been discovered sleeping on the job on two other occasions, during an extra duty detail.
Stafford Police: Patrolman Russell Dunfee was suspended for 30 days for neglect of duty after he logged out of an online training class before it was finished and was found to have consumed alcoholic beverages during the balance of the time.
Law enforcement agencies without major disciplinary incidents:
Monmouth County
Aberdeen Police
Allenhurst Police
Allentown Police
Asbury Park Police
Atlantic Highlands Police
Avon Police
Belmar Police
Bradley Beach Police
Brielle Police
Colts Neck Police
Eatontown Police
Englishtown Police
Fair Haven Police
Freehold Police
Freehold Township Police
Hazlet Police
Highlands Police
Holmdel Police
Keansburg Police
Keyport Police
Little Silver Police
Manasquan Police
Marlboro Police
Matawan Police
Monmouth Beach Police
Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office
Monmouth University Police
Neptune City Police
Ocean Township Police
Red Bank Police
Sea Girt Police
Shrewsbury Police
Spring Lake Heights Police
Spring Lake Police
Tinton Falls Police
Union Beach Police
West Long Branch Police
Ocean County
Barnegat Police
Bay Head Police
Beachwood Police
Harvey Cedars Police
Jackson Police
Lacey Police
Lakehurst Poice
Lavallette Police
Little Egg Harbor Police
Manchester Police
Mantoloking Police
Ocean County Sheriff’s Department
Ocean Township (Waretown) Police
Ocean Gate Police
Pine Beach Police
Plumsted Police
Point Pleasant Beach Police
Seaside Heights Police
Seaside Park Police
Ship Bottom Police
Surf City Police
Contact Asbury Park Press reporter Erik Larsen at elarsen@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: NJ Attorney General names cops subject to ‘major disciplinary action’
