Report Identifies Uses Of Police Force In Fair Lawn, Saddle Brook

FAIR LAWN, NJ —NJ Advance Media released this week what it considers the "most comprehensive" statewide database of police use-of-force in the United States, identifying the number of incidents in each New Jersey town, including Fair Lawn and Saddle Brook.

The report, released by NJ Advance Media on Thursday, explores how often police "punch, kick or use other force" in your town, according to the report.

New Jersey's biggest police union, however, decried the report as something that only tells "half the story" of police work, saying it was developed for the sole purpose of "generating clicks" online.

"The situations they face are dynamic and involve split-second decisions," State PBA President Patrick Colligan said in a statement. "They are not done within the safety and security of a newsroom."

You can find the whole report by clicking here. The report also identifies the officers involved in each use-of-force.

According to the report, Fair Lawn had 93 total uses-of-force from 2012 through 2016, and 19.6 incidents per 1,000 arrests. The department uses force at a lower rate than 306 other police departments in New Jersey, according to the report.

According to the report, Saddle Brook had 11 total uses-of-force from 2012 through 2016, and 8.7 incidents per 1,000 arrests. The department uses force at a lower rate than 427 other police departments in New Jersey, according to the report.

Colligan also decried NJ Advance Media for previewing the report with a "salacious" video that includes a clip of a woman who was punched by police officers while she was on a beach in Wildwood on Memorial Day weekend.

That woman, Emily Weinman, 20, of Philadelphia, has been indicted on assault charges. (Read more: Woman Punched By Police On NJ Beach Indicted For Assault)

"Unfortunately, print media has all but disappeared and has been replaced with online news," Colligan said. "When you can't count newspapers aymore to tout your commercial success, you have to generate clicks to sell advertising at top dollar. Regretfully, that has led to the demise of legitimate journalism in this country."

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com

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