Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II has announced that his office has been carefully reviewing the recent Force Report compiled by NJ Advance Media.
Use of force by law enforcement, while sometimes necessary, must be carefully reviewed to maintain public confidence in law enforcement. To maintain the trust of the community, law enforcement leaders must ensure transparency in all investigations concerning the use of force.
As evidenced by the December 2018 joint statement of Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, the County Prosecutor’s Association of New Jersey and other law enforcement groups, this Office remains committed to ensuring that all incidents involving the use of force are properly reviewed.
The Prosecutor will continue to work with the Office of the Attorney General to maintain and enhance public confidence in law enforcement. As the chief law enforcement officer in Essex County, the Prosecutor is committed to working with all county and local law enforcement agencies in the county to provide training and ensure that all guidelines and directives are adhered to.
Prosecutor Stephens also announced that his office will be meeting with all municipal law enforcement agencies in Essex County and reaffirming Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive 2005-1, which prohibits the practice of ‘racially-influenced policing.” Since this directive was originally issued, an entire new generation of law enforcement officers have been hired.
The reissuing of this directive, along with periodic training updates, demonstrates that this office is firmly committed to the prohibition on “racially- influenced policing” and will further help to maintain the public’s confidence.