Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose announced that two police officers have been remanded to administrative duties in connection with a motor vehicle pursuit that the officers failed to report, including shutting off their body-worn and dash cameras.
“I have zero-tolerance for this type of questionable behavior,” Director Ambrose said. “Every member of the Newark Police Division knows how hard we have worked to build the public’s trust. Policy violations like this erode that trust, and these officers—and any others who think they can bend the rules—will be thoroughly investigated.”
The officers’ actions have been referred to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for review.
The violations to be reviewed were discovered as part of an investigation by the Transparency and Risk Analysis Team, a sub-unit of the Newark Police Division’s Office of Professional Standards. It is alleged that the officers, who both have two years’ tenure, not only attempted to cover up the motor vehicle pursuit by not reporting it but also shut off their body-worn and police vehicle dash cameras, damaging them, to further conceal their policy violations.
An update regarding the outcome of the Prosecutor’s review will be announced.