Elizabeth's Mayor, The Honorable J. Christian Bollwage, swore in a career crime fighter who once served in a leadership role for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office and a former member of The East Orange Police Department.
According to a statement released by City Spokesperson Kelly Martins, the ceremony to pass leadership on to Earl Graves was held at a special meeting at 7 p.m. and the actual swearing-in occurred at approximately 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers.
Graves replaces former police director James Cosgrove after he was ordered to resign in April by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal.
According to the reports, Attorney General Grewal on Cosgrove to immediately resign following an investigation by the Union County Prosecutor's Office into Cosgrove's alleged use of derogatory terms to describe his staff.
Reports said the prosecutor's office’s two-month internal affairs investigation into Cosgrove's conduct concluded he had described his staff using racist and misogynistic slurs.
According to a resume obtained by RLS Metro Breaking News, Mr. Graves received a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Fairleigh Dickinson University Teaneck campus then received a Criminal Justice Education Certificate from The FBI National Academy in Virginia.
Mr. Graves served as the Deputy Chief of Detectives for The Essex County Prosecutors Office from January 2016 to March 2018 where before this leadership role, he served as the Lieutenant t then the Captain of this crime-fighting unit according to his resume.
Before his responsibilities at the Essex County Prosecutor's Office, Mr. Graves worked for the East Orange Police Department, The Hudson County Probation Department and served as past president of the Essex County Prosecutor's Office Superior Officers Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #25 his resume said.
“I chose Earl Graves for Police Director, based on his work with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office as Deputy Chief as well as his work with the Gang Taskforce and homicides in Essex County,” said Mayor J. Christian Bollwage. “His work with the East Orange Police Department and his overall credentials as a leader is what leads me to believe that he is the right fit for the Elizabeth Police Department at this time.”
Mr. Graves has won numerous state and national law enforcement awards during his time protecting and serving residents in New Jersey.