New Brunswick, HP, Middlesex Boro Cops Named In Discipline Report

NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ — The New Jersey Attorney General has made public this list of all the police officers in the state who were subject to "major discipline" in 2022.

You can read the entire list here; it was released Wednesday.

Officers from the city of New Brunswick (an officer accused of damaging property where he lives, which elicited a police response), Highland Park (an officer accused, but not found guilty of drunk driving) and Middlesex borough (insubordination) were all named in the report.

A Perth Amboy police officer was also named: She was suspended for 30 days for using the computer database for her own personal reasons.

“Major discipline” is internal discipline within the police department defined as terminations (being fired from the police force), reductions in rank, or suspension of more than five days.

It was a controversial decision to release the Major Discipline report:

When Gov. Murphy's administration first decided to make the list public in 2021, a half dozen police unions sued him and his Attorney General. The case went all the way to the NJ Supreme Court, which ultimately ruled with Murphy that the report could be released.

For comparison, the state of New Jersey does not publish such a list of public schoolteachers who are disciplined on the job, or of all the state workers who have been demoted, suspended or fired.

The decision to make the Major Discipline file public is part of Gov. Murphy's goal of making police in New Jersey more transparent and accountable, in the wake of public protests about fatal police shootings and the 2020 murder of George Floyd.

Patrick Colligan, president of the state Policemen’s Benevolent Association, New Jersey’s largest police union, told NJ.com at the time the Supreme Court's decision was “frustrating and disappointing," and that releasing the report will only humiliate officers, some of who committed very minor infractions while on the job.

“The NJSPBA does not and will not protect bad officers who violate the public trust and, yet, the 99.9% of good men and women serving in law enforcement continue to find themselves under attack,” Colligan said at the time.

The local officers named in the report:

New Brunswick PD
Officer Josue Plaza
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 8
Sustained Charge: Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee; General Duties and Responsibilities of a Police Officer; General Conduct; All Other Conduct
Description: An internal investigation concluded Officer Josue Plaza was found to be intoxicated near his residence. He committed property damage to a common area in the complex he resides in. Officer Plaza paid restitution for the damage that he caused. His actions did elicit a police response. Officer Plaza's demeanor exhibited to the responding officers was discourteous and unprofessional. The officer was suspended for 8 days.

Middlesex Boro PD
Police Officer James Morley
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 15
Sustained Charge: Insubordination / Failure to follow order
Description: On 12/22/2021, Officer Morley was insubordinate to the order of his supervisor to respond to work to cover a manpower shortage on 12/23/2021. The investigation of the charge commenced on 01/03/2022. As a result of the sustained charge of insubordination, Officer Morley was suspended/lost time for the equivalent of fifteen working day

Highland Park PD

Sergeant Jason Culver
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 45
Sustained Charge: Obedience to Laws & Regulations Conduct Unbecoming
Description: On May 20, 2022, Sgt Jason Culver was arrested in South Plainfield for suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) following a motor vehicle crash where he struck an unoccupied parked motor vehicle. These charges were heard in municipal court where there was no finding of intoxication and the matter was resolved with a guilty plea for reckless driving. Due to his actions, Sgt Culver was suspended for 45 days for violations of two of Highland Park Police Department’s Rules and Regulations; specifically: Obedience to Laws & Regulations and Conduct Unbecoming.

Perth Amboy PD
Special Police Officer Class 1 Madelyn Abreu
Terminated: No
Demoted: No
Suspended: Yes
# of Days Suspended: 30
Sustained Charge: Improper Police Action
Description: Special Police Officer Class 1 Abreu was suspended 30 days from her part-time position for improper access of computer database.