Hoboken Threatened For Refusing To Reinstate Demoted Fire Chief

HOBOKEN, NJ — More than a year after the state of New Jersey ordered Hoboken to reinstate their demoted fire chief, the state has issued a letter warning that local officials will lose their salaries if they don't comply — and may face a criminal charge.

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Four years ago, the administration of Mayor Ravi Bhalla removed Fire Chief Brian Crimmins from his role for reasons they didn't make public, keeping him on paid leave for 20 months. They eventually brought him back in 2023 at the lowest rank of firefighter.

A state administrative law judge rendered an opinion 12 months ago saying the city didn't have enough evidence to back up their allegations against Crimmins, which were non-criminal in nature and about personnel conflicts.

The city continued to appeal the state ruling, telling the courts that "the fire department is a paramilitary organization and confidence and trust in leadership is critical," according to a state summary of the city's appeal in February 2025. The city lost that appeal.

A letter dated Monday from the chair of the state's Civil Service Commission to the city's business administrator — obtained by Patch — says that the city may be ordered to stop paying the salary of their interim fire chief, Anton Peskens, and may also have to stop paying his superior unless they immediately give Crimmins his rank back.

The letter says that Crimmins should have been reinstated 30 days after the February ruling.

'Crime Of Fourth Degree'

The letter warns that if he's not reinstated immediately, the city is running afoul of criminal law.

"It is a crime of the fourth degree for any person to purposely or knowingly violate or conspire to violate any provision of...an order of the Chairperson or Commission," wrote Civil Service Commission Director Allison Chris Myers, in the letter.

The letter notes, "The appointing authority should have reinstated Mr. Crimmins as Fire Chief within 30 days of the Commissions's Feb. 26, 2025 decision and was required to make a good faith effort to ensure his receipt of differential back pay, benefits, and seniority."

The letter says the state will order the city to stop paying Peskens's salary, as well as the official who authorizes payment of the "disapproved salary."

Postponing Chief's Exam

The letter also says that an oral exam to become fire chief, which the city scheduled for later this month, has been postponed by the state.

"Since Mr. Crimmins is lawfully entitled to his position as fire chief," reads the letter (posted at the end of this story), "there is no vacancy in that position or a need to make permanent Mr. Peskens." The letter says an oral exam for the fire chief's position, which the city had scheduled for Nov. 24, will be stayed until the matter is resolved.

In recent months, the members of the City Council who disagree with Bhalla's actions on Crimmins voted on a resolution to reinstate him. The vote in September was 4-4-1, with Councilwoman Emily Jabbour, a past Bhalla ally who's in a runoff election for mayor, abstaining.

Hoboken's city spokeswoman said on Thursday, "We are aware of the letter, and we are addressing the matter. However, as this involves personnel, we are unable to provide further comment at this time."

Crimmins declined to comment.

Last year, his lawyer said, "The Honorable Susana Guerrero ruled that the city of Hoboken’s allegations were not credible, unsupported by evidence, and contradictory to the evidence provided by Chief Crimmins."

Crimmins said a year ago, "I look forward to resuming my duties and continuing the essential work of protecting and serving this great city.”

On Thursday, Hoboken Councilman Michael Russo, who faces Jabbour in a mayoral runoff next month, said, "It’s shameful that the administration has continued to play politics and defy court orders in the case of Chief Crimmins, dragging out a legal fight that residents cannot afford and hampering our first responders."

Jabbour responded, "I generally refrain from speaking about active personnel matters, and I have not seen the letter in question. That said, I strongly believe that when the State Civil Service Commission and a judge have ruled on a matter, the administration should abide by it. My main interest is ensuring that the Hoboken Fire Department can operate efficiently and effectively on behalf of our residents."

The full letter from Civil Service Commission Chair Allison Chris Myers is posted at the end of this story. The letter was sent to more than a dozen city and state officials, including Deputy State Attorney General Erin Gilgen.

READ MORE: Judge Orders Former Hoboken Fire Chief Reinstated After 2 Years Of Paid Leave

Background

Crimmins was promoted to the role of chief in 2018, after serving in the Hoboken Fire Department since 2004. He had come from a long line of public safety officials in Hoboken, including his grandfather, for whom the police station on Hudson Street is named. But after college, he went into finance, working for Deutsche Bank before becoming a fireman.

At the time of Crimmins' leave, sources suggested that internal battles and politics had resulted in the city's actions — actions that proved costly to the taxpayers.

Councilman Paul Presinzano introduced a resolution at the council meeting in September to urge the city to comply with the judge's 2024 ruling. Presinzano and council members Russo, Fisher, and Ramos — who are sometime critics of Mayor Ravi Bhalla — voted "yes." Councilmen Phil Cohen, Jim Doyle, and Joe Quintero, who almost never break with Bhalla, voted "no." Jabbour abstained.

Former mayoral candidate Dini Ajmani, who had worked in the Biden administration, said at the time, "Ours is a country governed by the rule of law. We are rightly appalled when, for example, a presidential administration such as Trump’s ignores the judiciary. Are we not hypocritical, then, if we overlook similar conduct within our own city government? It is troubling to see our mayor choosing to defy a direct order from the courts."

New Jersey Office of Administrative Law Judge Susana Guerrero issued the decision in October 2024 addressing the city's allegations and calling for Crimmins to be reinstated, but said it was up to the Civil Service Commission to make a final ruling. In November 2024, the Commission backed up Judge Guerrero's decision, voting for Crimmins to be reinstated.

The city then filed a request for the state to reconsider the ruling, saying there was new information.

"Specifically," the state summarized in February 2025, "it provides that the Acting Fire Chief has expressed his unwillingness to continue in the department if Crimmins is reinstated to Fire Chief, and he certifies that if Crimmins is reinstated there will be leadership instability...Hoboken highlights that a fire department is a paramilitary organization and confidence and trust in leadership is critical."

The state denied the reconsideration. It also said that Crimmins should be reinstated as chief within 30 days.