2 Bloomfield Police Officers Named In NJ ‘Discipline’ Report

BLOOMFIELD, NJ — A pair of Bloomfield police officers were among dozens across New Jersey named in a first-of-its-kind “discipline” report released on Tuesday.

The report publicly identifies officers who received “major discipline” between June 15, 2020 and Dec. 31, 2020. That includes terminations, demotions and suspensions that lasted for more than five days.

See the full report here.

It comes after an order from former state Attorney General Gurbir Grewal that was opposed by police unions, which argued that releasing the information would needlessly shame many officers accused of minor infractions. But according to Grewal, the move was needed to help “lift the cloak of secrecy” over the state’s police disciplinary process.

The New Jersey Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of releasing the information.

Some police departments chose to describe the reasons for discipline with only a single sentence, or provided limited details for Tuesday’s report.

In Bloomfield, one officer was suspended for 25 days. “The lieutenant failed to act as a supervisor and report an ongoing violation of the rules and regulations,” authorities wrote.

Another Bloomfield police lieutenant received a 20-day suspension for violating department regulations. “The lieutenant was conducting private business while on duty,” authorities stated.

Tuesday’s report is just the beginning, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. Moving forward, local police departments will be required to release local information on a yearly basis.

Acting Attorney General Andrew Bruck said the move is an “important step forward,” but added that he “takes no joy” in pointing a finger at officers.

“We are releasing this information not to shame or embarrass individual officers, but to provide the same type of transparency and accountability in policing that New Jersey mandates in other essential professions,” Bruck said.

Bruck added that the vast majority of New Jersey’s law enforcement officers serve the public with honor and integrity, “doing the right thing day-in and day-out” for the communities they serve.

• See related article: Bloomfield Police Give 'De-Escalation' Training To 50 Officers
• See related article: Watch 2021 Bloomfield Police, Firefighter Awards Ceremony

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