Mayor: Police Van Investigation Concluded, Hearing Process Next
Few further details available Friday, but Sokolich says police chief has recommended punishments for three officers involved
The Fort Lee Police Department has concluded its internal investigation into a March 26 incident in which five minors were left locked in a police transport van outside police headquarters in freezing temperatures for more than 14 hours after a house party bust, said Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich Friday. But the results of the investigation, punishments for the officers involved, additional potential action the police department may take and other information will not be released until a hearing and appeals process has been completed.
“It’s concluded,” Sokolich told Patch Friday. “They’re in the middle of preparing their final report. Punishments have been recommended by [Fort Lee Police Chief Thomas Ripoli]. The officers have been notified upon whom punishment will be levied. Those punishments and the action taken by the police department are subject to appeal and a hearing process. We are now about to start the hearing and appeal process. But I’m not at liberty to disclose what that punishment is, because there’s a final hearing that’s now pending, and I don’t want to prejudice either the borough’s rights or the police department’s rights or the minors’ rights.”
The matter now goes before the borough administrator, who will conduct a hearing based on the findings in the police department’s final report and either affirm or alter the punishments recommended by Ripoli, according to the mayor.
“The hearing will be promptly scheduled to bring closure to this,” Sokolich said, adding that he could not speculate when the hearing will begin or how long it will take.
Once the hearing and appeals process is concluded, the information will be released to the public.
“At one point, yes,” Sokolich said when asked the question, though he also declined to say when that might be.
The three Fort Lee police officers suspended as a result of the incident, whose names have not been released, will remain suspended with pay throughout the hearing and appeals process, Sokolich said.
Ripoli could not be reached for comment Friday.
jimmy
3:31 pm on Sunday, May 1, 2011
Once the hearing and appeals process is concluded, the information will be released to the public ? This sounds like it will be a long and drawn out process , and the fort lee tax payer gets hosed yet again, having to pay the salaries of all these officers for their spring/summer vacation's . If the matter was deemed serious enough to warrant a hearing and appeals process maybe they should have been disciplined first and if found not guilty of the charge be reimbursed at the conclusion of the hearings instead of just being paid to work on their tans . For the officers to continue to be paid while on suspension tells me that the borough doesn't want too, or intend on disciplining these officers and perhaps they shouldn't be, but the mayor looks like he's just going through the motions so he could tell the family that they did everything by the book . Its just a shame that while he's playing politics with this, the residents have to foot the bill.
jimmy
3:20 pm on Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Rumor has it they will receive a 100 day suspension. Its sad how these case's work out, i think although they were very careless the officer's here weren't malicious and maybe a 30 day suspension would have sufficed, but given the media attention and the mayor running for re election, they had to take the heat.
William Mays
3:59 pm on Tuesday, May 17, 2011
I'm sure that they did it on purpose and now we have to give them a 100 day paid vacation?
William Mays
4:47 pm on Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Also wanted to add, one time I called a completely incompetent Senior VP at my work a very bad name and I got suspended for 20 days without pay. These guys locked kids in a van for a day and they get paid vacation. Well, at least hes still working at the company and I have a higher postion than him, so I kinda got back at him.
jimmy
12:03 am on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
No they'll be suspended 100 day's without pay in the future but when you think about it, the borough will have paid them those same 100 day's salary just to sit around and get a tan while they dragged their feet and decided what their best move was politically.
Anna
11:27 am on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
The whole situation is a bad reflection on the police, the mayor and the town. It should never have happened, and its aftermath should have been handled better. It has taken way too long......
jimmy
12:25 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I think the aftermath has been an embarrassment as well , handled by an inexperienced young mayor who wanted to put the parent's on trial more so then then the officers.
William Mays
4:12 pm on Wednesday, May 18, 2011
I think Mark could be turn out to be a great mayor. He's not that young, I don't know how old you are, but 40-something isn't young.