Chamber News Feed: Morris County, NJ: Another police officer is suing Dovers police department and the municipality, alleging he suffered retaliation for backing the mayors political opponent and for exposing misconduct on the force. Sgt. Richard Gonzalezs lawsuit in U.S. District Court comes a month after another, filed in Morris County Superior Court by Officer Timothy Thiel. Both allege their rights as whistleblowers were violated by Mayor James Dodd and others when they notified authorities about alleged ticket-fixing and about other officers stealing paid time from the department. But Dodd told media Wednesday hes in no position to retaliate against the officers, saying hes not involved in the day-to-day-operations of the police department. The day-to-day operations are specifically handled by the chief of police, he said. I cant say whos going to be a detective, whos going to be promoted. In his lawsuit, Gonzalez alleges Dodd had it in for him, at one point referring to Gonzalez using a racial slur for Hispanics, telling other officials saying Gonzalez would never be promoted as long as Im in office. Who does he think he is, f---ing with us? Dodd told media that allegation was absurd. Ive never made a racial slur about Sgt. Gonzalez, he said. I dont know where thats coming from. Gonzalez says in the lawsuit he was assigned to the police departments detective bureau in 2010, tasked by Chief Harold Valentine with motivating detectives and repairing a work environment that had deteriorated while the Morris County Prosecutors Office investigated the bureau. It doesnt say what the nature of that investigation was. Shortly before, Gonzalez had become the departments public information officer, its spokesman. But Gonzalez alleges Dodd wanted him out of both posts, because he began issuing press releases about arrests and investigations as instructed, while Dodds latest political opponent, Daniel Martinez, was saying there was too much crime in Dover. Gonzalez says in the lawsuit he supported Martinez, hanging signs, posting to his personal Facebook page and attending a fundraiser for Martinez, along with several other off-duty officers. But that support, he says, resulted in a backlash. Gonzalez alleges Dodd and then-Township Administrator William Close suggested to Valentine Gonzalez was supporting Martinez during work hours, stealing time from the department. Dodd also questioned Valentine about Gonzalezs attendance at the fundraiser, Gonzalez says. Close requested an internal investigation over the Facebook post, in which Gonzalez wrote and the mayor tells everyone Dover is as safer as can be, BS, according to the lawsuit. In March of 2012, the investigation found allegations against Gonzalez were unfounded, it says. Administrator Close further pressured Chief Valentine to remove Plaintiff from the position of PIO because he was making the Mayor furious, according to the lawsuit. Close, who is now township manager in Sparta, was on vacation this week and could not be immediately reached. A coworker in his office there offered to pass a message to him Tuesday, and media is awaiting a response. Gonzalezs lawsuit, like Thiels, references an investigation by the Morris County Prosecutors Office that found tickets were being dismissed improperly, with paperwork referencing matters being referred to a Courtroom 2 that didnt exist. Both suits say Thiel conducted a traffic stop in November, 2011 in which the driver was a campaign worker for Dodd, and the passenger was Dover Alderwoman Carolyn Blackman. They allege Thiel was pressured not to write any tickets, but did so anyway, only to learn later they were dismissed without his knowledge or approval. As reported by media in January, the Morris County Prosecutors Office looked into that ticket dismissal and several others, but said in a letter to Dover authorities its inquiries failed to produce sufficient evidence to prove a criminal act beyond a reasonable doubt. But it did find signs of troubling activity, according to the November 2013 letter, which was obtained by media and verified by multiple officials who had seen it. In fact, we have learned that the staff of the municipal court may be scheduling matters in a non-existent Courtroom 2 in order to avoid notifying the issuing officers, the letter states. Apparently, the police department is only noticed on those matters scheduled for Courtroom 1. Gonzalezs lawsuit says Thiel learned the campaign worker was bragging Dodd had gotten the tickets eliminated though it doesnt say where Thiel heard that. The lawsuit says Thiel notified Gonzalez, and Gonzalez then notified Capt. Peter Ugalde. Gonzalez lawsuit alleges he along with others, discovered that Dover, Mayor Dodd, and Administrator Close, were involved in a systematic dismissal of tickets issued to their friends, attorneys, and political connections. A letter obtained by media discussing the prosecutors offices investigation into the matter doesnt lay out the same conclusion, but it is unclear if other documentation addresses its findings further. Dodd told media Tuesday he had no knowledge of the ticket at the time, and when the prosecutors office investigated, it was found that I was not involved at all. Gonzalezs political support for Martinez, his reports of the alleged ticket-fixing and other alleged misconduct prompted Dodd and Close to take deliberate retaliatory actions against him, he alleges in the lawsuit. He says they conducted a campaign of deliberate harassment and retaliation. Gonzalez also alleges that in January of 2012, when he reported the retaliation to Close, Valentine, Ugalde, Lt. Barry Young and the prosecutors office, Assistant Prosecutor Robert Weber said he had to expect that for being on the losing team or something similar. Weber had written the letter to Dover authorities about the prosecutors offices investigation into the ticket dismissals. Gonzalez says Valentine was told by the towns labor attorney, under instructions from Dodd, to remove him from the spokesperson position in April of 2012, but didnt comply. Valentine also recommended Gonzalez for a promotion to a vacant lieutenant position, but Dodd and Close backed an ordinance that eliminated the position, Gonzalez says. Dodd told media the positions were eliminated because the police department had too many people in supervisory roles, not because Gonzalez was specifically being shut out of contention for promotion. When I originally took over as mayor ... If you looked at the Detective Bureau, the amount of the brass compared to other officers, it was about 50-50, he said. The townships board of aldermen decided to eliminate some supervisory positions as they were vacated, Dodd said. Gonzalez also says the alleged retaliation came in part because he issued tickets to a Dover Alderman and towed his work truck that was unregistered and unsafe. Dodd and Close have repeatedly said to several people Gonzalez would never become lieutenant, the lawsuit alleges. The lawsuit also makes claims against Young, who as lieutenant of Internal Affairs, is the highest ranking officer in the IA process. It says Gonzalez reported wrongdoing to Young, but when he asked questions about those investigations, Young ignored them or responded with disdain. In particular, Gonzalez says, he wanted to take action against a detective who let cases sit or otherwise shirked his duty but was told that detective was untouchable and Youngs best friend. The lawsuit says that when Gonzalez asked questions about Young and another officer, Lt. Francis Coppinger, taking on a work schedule that violated the departments collective bargaining agreement, the questions were ignored, and Young became incensed. It says he began questioning other officers about allegations they were stealing time — and in response, messages were written on a dry-erase board relating to trust, rumors and backstabbing. Both Gonzalez and Thiel were removed from the Detective Bureau effective April 1 of this year. Gonzalezs lawsuit says during a March 26 meeting, he was told by Young he could not be trusted and that Thiel was told in a similar meeting he was being kicked out for being aligned with Gonzalez. Gonzalez was removed from the spokesman position at that time as well. Gonzalez said he brought his concerns about other officers and retaliation to Valentine, and was told Valentine was 100 percent against his removal from the detective bureau, but did not want to intervene. Gonzalez also says hes been routinely passed over for overtime, and that systems were manipulated to keep him from properly filling out paperwork. He says a meeting with Valentine in July of this year was held to intimidate him. During the meeting, Chief Valentine told (Gonzalez) that he is disrupting the operations of the police force and he has to stop. Chief Valentine stated if you keep going we are going to go to a place that nobody wants to go to. This is my official warning to you ...there are no more warnings, the lawsuit states. It says the meeting had no purpose, except to harass and intimidate (Gonzalez). Valentine could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He has previously declined comment on Thiels lawsuit and the ticket-fixing investigation. Your Bernards Township Regional Chamber of Commerce Works for You!
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 11:29:47 +0000
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