Woodbridge Police Dispatcher Quits After Racist Facebook Comment

WOODBRIDGE, NJ — A dispatcher for the Woodbridge police department was first suspended by the town this week for a comment he made on a Facebook post, and then later quit the job himself, according to a Woodbridge town spokesman.

Woodbridge police also said they are "saddened and dismayed" by what he allegedly wrote.

Marc Repace was a civilian employee who worked as a 911 call taker at the Woodbridge Police Dispatch Center, a job he has held since December 2018.

At issue is a comment Repace reportedly wrote on a Facebook photo of an 8-year-old boy at a protest in Boston. The boy, who is African American, holds up a signs that reads: “At what age do I go from handsome to a threat?”

NJ.com reported that Repace commented: “17 give or take a year or two. LMFAO totally kidding.”

An anonymous Woodbridge resident commented: “You are absolutely disgusting. You were in the military and now you work for the Woodbridge Police Department you fit the stereotype. I honestly don’t understand how you can be making jokes at a time like this when the country is completely divided.”

Someone took screenshots of the exchange and posted them to Facebook, tagging the Woodbridge Police Department and Mayor John McCormac

"Marc Repace, a civilian employee assigned to the WPD Dispatch Center, was suspended from his position on Sunday, May 31 after it was determined that he had posted unauthorized comments to Facebook," said Woodbridge spokesman John Hagerty. "On Monday, June 1, Repace submitted his resignation and was terminated from his Woodbridge Township employment."

"The Woodbridge Police Department is saddened and dismayed by a recent social media post attributed to one of its civilian employees," said Woodbridge police in a statement on Facebook. "Immediate action has been taken to discipline the employee. The Woodbridge Police Department does not condone this type of behavior from any of its personnel and is dedicated to the fair and impartial administration of justice for every member of our community."