GWB Guard Accused of Smoking Weed On The Job

Security guard blamed marijuana odor on a skunk, report says

A security contractor guarding the George Washington Bridge's New Jersey side was arrested Wednesday after being caught smoking marijuana on duty, sources told the New York Post.  The guard, Sami Omar, 26, of North Bergen, was busted by a Port Authority police officer who smelled weed when he stopped at a GWB security booth, the report said. Omar reportedly first blamed the pot odor on a passing skunk.  Police discovered a half-smoked blunt in Omar's boot and a bag of weed, the newspaper reported, citing sources.  Omar, an employee of FJC Security for four years, has been assigned to the bridge for three years, according to the report. He also guarded PATH trains.  FJC, a private firm hired to help secure the bridge and regional airports, …

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

GWB Toll Evasion-Related Arrests Top 100, Port Authority Says

The latest three incidents occurred Saturday, Sunday and Monday, as the latest round of toll hikes went into effect, bringing the agency’s 2012 total to 105—already more than 20 more than all of last year.

Port Authority police have charged more truck drivers with toll evasion at the George Washington Bridge so far this year than they did all of last year, as the agency continues what officials with the agency have described as a "crackdown," according to authorities. The number of drivers charged reached 104 on Sunday morning, the same day the Port Authority’s latest round of toll hikes went into effect, and climbed yet again Monday, authorities said. “Cracking down on toll evasion has been a top priority for the agency this year, and the number of arrests we have made this year are clear evidence that our efforts have been a success,” said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman. The agency made 83 arrests in connection with alleged toll …

• Photos (1)

Three Truckers Charged at GWB in Separate Incidents

Port Authority police arrested a New York man, a Florida man and a driver from Massachusetts at the main toll plaza of the George Washington Bridge in a roughly two-hour time period on toll evasion charges, according to authorities.

Three truck drivers were charged at the George Washington Bridge in the span of about two hours late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning in connection with alleged attempts to evade tolls, authorities said. “To date this year, we have arrested 96 people on toll evasion charges,” said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman. The first of the most recent incidents occurred just before midnight on Wednesday, when Port Authority Police Officer George Kwiecinski was patrolling the GWB’s main toll plaza and spotted a 2003 Freightliner tractor-trailer “with the front license plate secured on an angle to obscure the last two characters,” Coleman said, adding that the second character on the rear plate had allegedly been changed from a “J” to…

•  3 Comments
• Photos (1)

Florida Truck Driver Without Front Plate Charged at GWB Tollbooths

Port Authority officials allege the driver tried to pass through the George Washington Bridge’s main toll plaza Wednesday with no front license plate and an obscured rear plate.

Port Authority police arrested a Palm City, Florida man on toll evasion charges Wednesday at the George Washington Bridge because he allegedly had a missing front license plate, a bent and obscured rear plate and no E-ZPass tag, authorities said. At 11:15 a.m. Wednesday, Officer Jason Malice of the Port Authority Police Department was on patrol at the main toll plaza of the bridge when he spotted a 1999 Volvo tractor-trailer with a missing front license plate, according to authorities. “Upon further inspection, [Malice] found that the rear license plate on the truck was bent so E-ZPass cameras could not capture an image,” said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman, adding that the driver didn’t have an E-ZPass tag either. The driver, …

• Photos (1)

Port Authority Says Truck Driver ‘Defaced’ Plates to Evade GWB Toll

The arrest of a Dallas man Thursday morning was the 68th of its kind this year because of a crackdown on toll evasion on the part of Port Authority police, authorities said.

A Texas man was charged Thursday in connection with an alleged attempt to evade tolls at the George Washington Bridge by defacing his license plates, authorities said. Port Authority Police Officer Jason Malice was patrolling the upper level toll plaza when at about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, when he spotted a 2003 Volvo tractor-trailer with “defaced characters” on its front and rear license plates, said Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman, who said the vehicle was registered in Texas and did not have an E-ZPass tag. Kabba Bangura, 33, of Dallas was arrested and charged with theft of service and tampering with public records, Coleman said, adding that Port Authority police impounded the truck According to Coleman, it was the Port Authority …

•  1 Comment
• Photos (1)

Sandy's Long Lines Ignite Short Fuses At Gas Stations

With many gas stations out of fuel, those that remain open have lines stretching over a mile long and police standing by making sure panic does not set in.

Many of the area gas stations that were open this morning were limiting distribution to generators only. Vehicles trying to locate a station that would service them need only look for a long line of parked cars. The Hess Station adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel in Fort Lee is the only gas station open on Route 4 East between Teaneck and the George Washington Bridge and, as of 3 pm, had a line of parked cars stretching well past the Grand Avenue exit in Englewood. Port Authority and Fort Lee Police, along with Fort Lee Fire Prevention, were on hand to maintain order at the pumps. However, when one car tried to ease its way into the middle of the wait further down the road in Englewood, other drivers waiting their turn began to shout insults…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (8)

Howard L. Pearl

12:28 pm on Friday, November 2, 2012

With the experience that FEMA and other emergency agencies should have garnered from the aftermath of Katrina and other major storms, it would seem like this “gas emergency” might have been foreseen. Perhaps, FEMA could have arranged for a fleet of oil tankers from out of state to efficiently supply all available gas stations (with power to pump). Maybe our governor and his staff could have …   more ›

Two Charged At GWB With Transporting Untaxed Cigarettes

Port Authority police said two men were caught Monday morning with 400 cartons of cigarettes they were allegedly taking from Virginia to New York City without paying New York taxes.

Port Authority police arrested two men at the George Washington Bridge Monday morning in connection with an alleged attempt to transport untaxed cigarettes to bodegas in Manhattan and the Bronx, officials said Tuesday. Officers Michael Brennan and Ryan Ust were patrolling the “High Occupancy Vehicle” (HOV) lane, which requires three or more occupants in a vehicle between 7 and 9 a.m. and leads to the upper level of the bridge, just after 8 a.m. Monday, when they pulled an SUV over with just two people in it, according to Port Authority spokesman Steve Coleman. After stopping the SUV, the officers noticed two large boxes on the rear passenger seats and asked the two men what was in them, Coleman said. “[They] initially said the boxes …

• Photos (1)

Runaway Dog Spooked by Fireworks Rescued on GWB

The dog had been missing for about 12 hours since it took off from its Leonia home on the 4th of July, apparently frightened by loud fireworks.

Port Authority police rescued a dog from a catwalk on the lower level of the George Washington Bridge Thursday morning about 12 hours after it ran away from its home in Leonia, apparently spooked by 4th of July fireworks, authorities said. The dog, which NJ.com reported is named “Charlie,” had been bitten and sprayed by a skunk and was scared. But it was ultimately reunited with its owners at an animal shelter in Cliffside Park, said Port Authority police spokesman Al Della Fave. At about 9:30 a.m. Thursday, construction workers called Port Authority police to let them know they had spotted the dog running in traffic on the lower level of the bridge, Della Fave said. “Port Authority police officer [Kameel Jumar], who has a couple dogs of …

• Photos (3)

Two Charged in Chase, Head-On Crash With Port Authority Police Car

The chase originated on the George Washington Bridge and ended in a head-on crash in front of Fort Lee Plaza onLemoine Avenue in Fort Lee, authorities said.

Two New York men were charged in connection with a high-speed chase that started on the George Washington Bridge and ended in a head-on crash with a Port Authority police car on Lemoine Avenue, authorities said Thursday night. Joseph W. Powers, 28, of Suffern, and his passenger, Edward Ceus, 28, of Spring Valley, were charged with aggravated assault and eluding police, according to Port Authority police spokesman Al Della Fave. At about 5 p.m. Thursday, a Port Authority police officer tried to pull over a speeding maroon Acura traveling westbound on the bridge, but when the driver — Powers — allegedly refused to comply, the officer pulled alongside the car “to make sure that [Powers] saw him and was aware that he wanted him to stop,” Della…

• Photos (3)

Paterson Man, Virginia Marine Charged With Weapons Possession After Nightclub Fracas

Report: PA police caught up with suspect who brandished a gun in the municipal parking lot near the Plaza Diner in Fort Lee early Sunday morning