New Jersey
NJ attorney general’s 2024 major discipline report lists 644 incidents, up 19.7% from ’23
New NJ attorney general Matt Platkin introdued
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday named his former chief counsel, Matt Platkin, to be the state’s next attorney general.
Paul Wood Jr, NorthJersey.com
The state Office of the Attorney General has released its annual major discipline report, detailing actions taken by New Jersey law enforcement agencies against officers between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2024.
The 2024 report, which was released July 7, lists 644 incidents of major discipline taken last year by 172 agencies in New Jersey against 543 officers. The numbers are up 19.7% from 2023, when there were 538 major disciplines from 167 agencies involving 460 unique officers.
Each year, New Jersey’s law enforcement agencies are required to submit a report of all major discipline imposed by that agency on its officers, the Attorney General’s Office website says. “Major discipline” is defined by the office as terminations, reductions in rank or suspension of more than five days.
Additionally, a 2022 directive expanded the infractions considered to be major discipline. The list now includes, among other things, discriminatory conduct, filing a false report, intentionally performing an improper search, applying excessive force, being untruthful, intentionally mishandling or destroying evidence, and committing domestic violence.
The expanded reporting categories also include officers charged with an indictable crime and officers who departed from an agency while an internal affairs matter was pending and where the outcome of the investigation would have required reporting.
“Publicly releasing this data about the handling of disciplinary matters helps maintain the public’s trust in those dedicated, hardworking men and women of law enforcement,” said Attorney General Matthew Platkin. “My office is committed to improving transparency and building confidence in government, and providing this data is part of that mission.”
Major discipline by county
Once again, the majority of reports came out of Camden County, which saw 126 disciplines, most of which were suspensions.
Overall, the New Jersey Corrections Department reported the most disciplines by far, with 123, followed by the Camden County Department of Corrections, with 96.
The most frequently occurring offense in 2024 was related to attendance, including lateness and calling out too close to the start of a shift.
The report says law enforcement agencies in North Jersey with major discipline in 2024 include:
- Bergen County (16 agencies): Prosecutor’s Office, Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments in Bergenfield, Elmwood Park, Garfield, Harrington Park, Hillsdale, Ho-Ho-Kus, Lodi, Palisades Park, Paramus, Ramsey, Ridgefield Park, Ridgewood, Rutherford and Tenafly.
- Essex County (11): Corrections Department, Sheriff’s Office, Montclair State University police and the departments in Belleville, Caldwell, Montclair, Newark, Nutley, Orange, South Orange and West Orange.
- Morris County (3): the Dover, Florham Park and Parsippany-Troy Hills police departments.
- Passaic County (8): Sheriff’s Office, William Paterson University police, and the police departments in Clifton, Passaic, Paterson, Pompton Lakes, Wanaque and West Milford.
How to find towns
To view the full report, including a statewide list and details about disciplinary action taken in a town, visit njoag.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Major-Discipline-1-01-24-to-12-31-24.pdf.
Residents also can filter through data using the Attorney General’s Office interactive major discipline dashboard at njoag.gov/majordiscipline.
New Jersey
Husband of slain New Jersey mom begs for help in newly released 911 call | Fox News Video
Former homicide detective Brian Foley joins ‘Fox & Friends Weekend’ to provide analysis on Conor Hanlon’s 911 call after finding his wife, Brooke, stabbed to death.
Former homicide detective Brian Foley provides expert insights into the newly released 911 call from Conor Hanlon, whose wife, New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon, was found stabbed to death. Foley analyzes the husband’s emotional state and the police’s approach, noting the case’s ‘suspicious’ designation 13 minutes into the call.
New Jersey
NJ firefighter dies after crash responding to fire call
A young firefighter died two weeks after being badly hurt in a crash while responding to a fire call, according to the Malaga Fire Company.
Robert (Bobby) Reider, 23, was driving north along Delsea Drive while trying to get to the scene of fire on Saturday, June 27 when his car went off the road, officials said.
When first responders got to the scene of the crash, they found Reider trapped in his car and worked to remove him.
Reider was then taken by helicopter to a nearby hospital where he was treated for severe and traumatic injuries.
Weeks later, on July 10 around 4:30 a.m., Reider died from his injuries while still in the hospital.
The Malaga Fire Company says that Reider joined their team in 2018 when he was just 16 as a junior firefighter.
He then went on to earn a certificate at Fire 1 at the Salem County Fire Academy in 2022.
New Jersey
NJ Legislators Are Considering a Bill That Could Ban Tesla Robotaxis Due to Their Tech Choice
New Jersey lawmakers are deliberating on a law that would create a three-year autonomous vehicle pilot program in the state, but Tesla might be banned from participating altogether over a technical choice made by the Texas-based carmaker for its self-driving vehicles.
The bill, officially known as S1677, would establish autonomous vehicle testing requirements with the New Jersey Department of Transportation (DOT) and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. One of these proposed requirements is that autonomous vehicle operators use camera-based technology and two additional forms of sensor tech, such as lidar or radar. Of course, Tesla’s autonomous vehicle technology is purely camera-based, meaning the brand could be banned from testing in New Jersey.
The text of the bill is fairly straightforward, requiring prospective autonomous operators to submit a “law enforcement interaction plan” and detail redundant safety systems, crash-avoidance technology, and data recording capabilities. The specific language that would ban Tesla’s system requires autonomous operators to “be equipped with crash-avoidance systems, including a camera system and two distinct sensing modalities that are capable of detecting and tracking obstacles in the event of failure of the camera system.” The bill also favors keeping traditional steering wheel and pedal controls available. While initial testing would be completed with human safety operators, the bill would allow fully autonomous operation once certain metrics, such as 50,000 crash-free miles, are met.
The decision to require both camera- and sensor-based technology is not a coincidence, according to The Verge. “This is not anti-Tesla. I’m pro-New Jersey safety,” Democratic state senator Andrew Zwicker, the bill’s primary sponsor and a physicist by trade, said to The Verge. “At this point, I don’t think the evidence is sufficient that a single sensor with software can handle situations that humans can.”
Tesla is, unsurprisingly, upset about this development, and the company is fighting back. The automaker’s public policy platform, Engage Tesla, features a call to action for Tesla owners to contact members of the New Jersey Legislature to oppose the bill, with the plea claiming the autonomous vehicle testing program is the opposite of progress, and saying that Tesla would be legally barred from testing in the Garden State. Statistics about roadway death rates in New Jersey and denying freedom of movement for elderly populations are also included.
“Rather than prioritizing real safety outcomes and performance, the bill specifically bans Tesla from the New Jersey market,” the site reads. “Every arbitrary roadblock is a delay for the people who need this life-changing technology most. Legislation that bans Tesla’s proven AV technology from the market is not caution — it’s anti-competitive favoritism that will cause New Jersey to fall behind while other states move forward.”
The bill, introduced on January 16, is currently under consideration by the New Jersey Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. The bill’s language closely mirrors talking points from the nonprofit SAVE-US, which is lobbying for stronger oversight of autonomous vehicle testing. New Jersey is not the only state pondering additional autonomous testing regulation; New York legislators are working on similar legislation. Just yesterday, federal safety regulators called out autonomous vehicle operators like Waymo for interfering with first responders.
A New York transplant hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Emmet White has a passion for anything that goes: cars, bicycles, planes, and motorcycles. After learning to ride at 17, Emmet worked in the motorcycle industry before joining Autoweek in 2022 and Road & Track in 2024. The woes of alternate side parking have kept his fleet moderate, with a 2014 Volkswagen Jetta GLI and a BMW 318i E30 street parked in his Queens community.
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