NJ cops suspended for military service?
Several of you have sent us links to this Fox News article about two Iraq War veterans & cops who were suspended from their police jobs for allegedly misusing military leave time.
They’re being suspended without pay and could lose their jobs for allegedly misusing military leave time. An attorney for both men says they’re upstanding cops and did everything by the book. The police union claims the cops are being targeted by their department to discourage other cops from joining the reserves.
From North Jersey.com, they were both members of the Air Force Reserve;
The days in question – 15 for McCracken and 29 for Cartagena – go back to 2007 and 2008. McCracken used the days for traveling to a military base, while Cartagena used his days for medical treatments of combat injuries, Elston said.
Elston said the police department makes it sound like the two were lounging on the beach.
“These men are highly decorated Iraq War veterans, who have served our country overseas, have been overseas at least twice each, and have served our country with honor and distinction, as well as the Bloomfield Township Police Department,” she said. “The township is saying that now, four or five years after these occurrences, that they should not have been paid for the traveling to comply for the military order or for being treated on base.”
Their chief isn’t talking to the media at this point, so all we have is the officers’ side of the story. The Bloomfield Patch reports;
The time period in question occurred in 2008 and 2009 and involves both their overseas deployment and weekend training, Elston said. She said at that time, Bloomfield did not have a policy concerning military absences. Elston said a policy was later put in place and is now being retroactively applied.
During the press presentation, Elston said she had audio recordings of Bloomfield police investigators saying they didn’t have a set policy in place.
McCracken said the Essex County Prosecutor’s office had investigated their military leave claims earlier this year and did not find credible evidence that they had falsified their claims of military time.
Category: Reserve Issues
So these guys are getting screwed for supposedly violating a policy that didn’t even EXIST at the the time? Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that illegal? And the PD even ADMITS that they weren’t actually abusing their leave time. Well, at least it’s nice to hear their union is actually stepping up and having their backs. Hopefully whichever appointed or elected asswipe is responsible for this pays with his job.
It’s New Jersey. The state is corrupt, period. Someone just doesn’t like these two cops.
Sounds like someone in the department is on a witch hunt, but I’m curious to hear the other side. I will say this, though. Civilian employers are getting tired of the Guard’s shit…at least mine is, and it sounds like others as well. 2- 2 week Annual Trainings plus a 3-week NCOES and a 3 day drill every month from November to August wears out employer support rather quickly, especially if you’re working swing shifts, 60-hr weeks, and weekends. I can understand if the unit is getting ready to MOB, but not in a normal year. If I wanted to be active duty, I would have stayed there.
This PD is more than likely in the wrong, but I’m sure there are some underlying issues that haven’t been stated yet.
I don’t get this at all. Presuming they put in their military leave request and provided a legitimate reason for use (and were factual about that reason) AND their supervisor approved it, I don’t know that Bloomfield PD has a leg to stand on.
Where are the Reserve associations in all of this? They should be throwing the BS flag as well.
I’d offer that this is just a pretext for clearing the PD of veterans. I’ve read, these past few years, comments by other cops that Police Departments were creating hostile work environments for anyone connected with the military, whether through the Guard or Reserves, or just for being a veteran.
There’s apparently, to my understanding, a mindset among some department leaders that veterans are “too good” at being cops.
But being that this is NJ, there’s also the possibility that this is politically-motivated. Just guessing here, but perhaps these two upstanding veterans/cops didn’t toe the party line to someone’s liking. 😉
As a former ESGR Representative for the state…I can tell you the absolute worst violators of USERRA I saw were Police and Fire Department.
This will get resolved. As soon as Uncle Sam’s Lawyers from ESGR start calling the department and reminding them of the legal issues they will face…they will back off. Trust me.
No idea if things have changed, but in the past it was typically the mid level, not service related, types who caused the most problems. I had to educate more than one supervisor of his responsibilities and mine regarding military leave. And I figured it was my responsibility to do so. On the odd occasion that it continued to be a problem, there were others who continued the education process.
If there is cause to fire these two cops, then perhaps their department should consider using that instead of making up stuff?
Several cops I know ended up changing departments after deployments because they were getting fucked with. I only had a little of it, and not from the top, but from just a few guys I had worked with.
I suspect that some are jealous that they never did and never will get the honor of serving in a war zone.
Don’t just mash your teeth, be part of the solution. Saturate these clowns with e-mails sharing your thoughts. Make that professional e-mails, no profanity, aspersions on their heritage and refrain from mentioning they momma’s.
Mayor Raymond J. McCarthy,
e-mail: rmccarthy@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
Police Chief Christopher Goul,
e-mail: policechief@bloomfieldnjpd.com
Town Administrator Ted Ehrenburg,
e-mail: twpadm@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
City Council:
echalet@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
njoanow@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
cbernard@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
pdunigan@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
mvenezia@bloomfieldtwpnj.com
bernardham@onebox.com
“Sunday morning on Fox and Friends Weekend, McCracken and Cartagena told their side of the story. Their attorney said that audiotape from investigation revealed other Bloomfield police officers were complaining that they couldn’t take vacations due to the soldiers’ military leave.” http://foxnewsinsider.com/2013/12/21/new-jersey-cops-suspended-serving-their-country
I had a problem with the mid-level admins at my department, when I was with the National Guard. One dumbass Lt. told me they couldn’t let me go to AT, but they could let me go three weeks later. It took the city attorney to straighten him out. It got so bad that the city finally had a class for all of the “command” types, explaining what was required for a member of the guard/reserves.
If this is true as currently reported, the supervisor involved, and whoever appointed said supervisor, actually need to be dragged outside and stomped into muddy blood puddles.
There’s the law and then there’s tradition. The law has replaced tradition much to our detriment and now the law is being eroded piece by piece as well.
Soon enough we ain’t gonna have anything.
My son works for Coca-Cola, a company that goes above and beyond when it comes to military service. He never has any issues getting time off for drill or TDY or anything else, although his boss prefers as much lead time as possible for scheduling purposes. In return, my son frequently works on his days off if needed. Cooperation goes both ways.
In addition, Coke gives full pay up to 4 months a year when he’s on active duty orders. So he was paid for most of his basic training/tech school and will also be paid for TDY.
Maybe Bloomfield figured that since the Federal Government is screwing veterans, they should follow that example.
Where are all the newspapers and mainstream media in this? Oh that’s right, they are still talking about Phil Robertson because Obama told them to make that the main story. badumtish!
State law as contained in N.J.S.A. 38 and 38A, and N.J.A.C. 4A provides for the following:
Public Employers’ Responsibilities:
Employees must be excused for any period of military service including drills, annual training, and other active duty
Provide military leave to public employee members of the National Guard or Reserves
Members of the NJ National Guard are entitled to paid military leave for up to 90 workdays each year
Members of the Reserves are entitled to paid military leave for up to 30 workdays each year
Employees must be permanent, at-will, or Full-Time Temporary
Drill weekends are not considered active duty for purposes of paid military leave
There’s no mystery here. In my experience LEO’s generally epitomize the concept of ‘control freaks’, and firefighters, while generally nicer, are not too far off. The mindset is almost always one of “I’m the authority figure here, and you WILL do as I say”.
Is it any stretch then to see Departments upset that there are rules that THEY have to follow that aren’t related to their job, didn’t originate with them, and that they have zero ability to influence?
I hope this whole incident gets shoved up the Bloomfield PD’s ass, sideways.
Join us on their facebook site- stand up to Bloomfield’s witchhunt
https://www.facebook.com/istandupforwarveterans
@ #16: Thanks for posting the link. Please keep us informed, as you can, how the case is progressing.
While I especially dislike individuals who claim military service they did not have, I don’t like employers who mistreat their part-time military members either. Disgusting.