Report: 80 Percent of NJ Sheriffs Are Double Dippers

Seventeen of 21 New Jersey county sheriffs collect state pensions as law enforcement retirees in addition to six-figure salaries, according to a New Jersey Watchdog investigation. 

The sheriffs—in addition to 29 double-dipping undersheriffs—“rake in $8.3 million a year—$3.4 million in retirement pay plus $4.9 million in salaries,” the report reads. 

That adds up to an average of $181,033 a year, with a split of $107,145 in county pay and $73,888 in pensions.

The report goes on to suggest that Nov. 5 elections won’t do much to change the culture in county sheriff departments.

The author of the article argues that loopholes in New Jersey law allow double-dippers “to retire at a full pension at a relatively young age—often in their 40s—and then return to the public payroll for a second income.”

New Jersey Watchdog quotes state Sen. Jennifer Beck saying that double dipping is “destroying the fabric of the pension system.”

Read the full New Jersey Watchdog report here.