New ‘Major Discipline’ Report For Edison Police Released By NJAG Office

EDISON, NJ — The Edison Police Department had two "major discipline cases" that were included in a new report from the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

On Monday, the state AG’s office released its annual Major Discipline Report, which lists details for hundreds of police officers in the state.

The report covers the period from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2024.

“Major discipline” is defined as terminations, reductions in rank, or suspension of more than five days. Pending cases are excluded from the dataset.

The latest report lists two cases for the Edison Police Department:

• A lieutenant was found to have violated the Edison Police Department body-worn camera/vehicle camera policy. Investigation revealed that between 4/9/2023 to 9/8/2023, the officer did not follow proper procedures for signing in and out of the camera system and subsequently inadvertently made multiple videos that were not properly tagged with case numbers, in violation of the Body Worn Camera Policy. A collateral issue was also discovered, utilizing GPS location data, that revealed the officer was idling/loafing for extended periods, at multiple locations, while on duty. The officer was sustained for loafing and for the body worn camera violations. The officer was suspended for 30 days and and had either monetary fine or loss of pay.
• A Patrolman conducted an investigative stop of a suspect vehicle. During the course of the interaction with the suspect, the officer utilized force to take the suspect to the ground and struck the suspect. The officer did not use de-escalation techniques, and did not use force as a last resort. The patrolman’s report was substandard and was not adequate in reflecting what occurred on scene. He was sustained for conduct unbecoming, willful violation of rules and regulations, and misconduct pursuant to NJSA 40A: 14-147 et Seq. He was suspended for 10 days and had either monetary fine or loss of pay.

According to statewide statistics, there were 644 major discipline actions taken by 172 police agencies against 543 officers in New Jersey last year. The most frequently occurring offenses were related to attendance, including lateness and call-outs too close to the start of a shift.

Attorney General Matthew Platkin said that the vast majority of New Jersey’s police officers risk their own safety to protect others and to serve their communities. These officers “conduct themselves with honor and courage,” he said.

“Publicly releasing this data about the handling of disciplinary matters helps maintain the public’s trust in those dedicated, hardworking men and women of law enforcement,” Platkin said.

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