Bergen County Safety Director's Actions During Friend's Arrest Not Criminal: Prosecutor

The conduct of a Bergen County official who authorities said interfered with the DWI arrest of his friend did not "rise to the level of criminality," Acting Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said Monday.

Ralph Rivera, the Bergen County Director of Law and Public Safety, was at the scene in Teaneck when his friend, Francisco Almonte, was stopped by a Bergen County Sheriff's officer, Grewal said in a statement.

According to an incident report regarding Almonte's arrest, Rivera interrupted the arresting officer on multiple occasion and interfered with the arrest, Grewal said.

The prosecutor's office Confidential Investigations Unit conducted a "thorough investigation of the incident and concluded that, based on the evidence available to date, Grewal said, Rivera's conduct did not "rise to the level of criminality."

Rivera is not subject to an internal affairs investigation by the prosecutor's office because he is not the executive of a county law enforcement organization under state guidelines set forth by the attorney general's office.

According to a report by The Record, Rivera "interrupted and distracted" the arresting officer four times during the motor vehicle stop. Rivera kept "asserting himself as, and referring to the title he currently holds," and that he felt "overwhelmed after learning Mr. Rivera's identity."

Grewal said no additional information or statements concerning the matter would be forthcoming from the prosecutor's office.