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« on: October 15, 2009, 10:09:44 AM »
As you may or may not recall, I initiated this conversation after a meeting at Carver Park regarding unfair treatment of some minority members of this community by some officers of this community. At that meeting at Carver Park, the Police Chief gave out his business card and asked that anyone who had a problem feel free to contact him directly. This statement was made in response to individuals who indicated that they were not allowed to file a complaint against a police officer after a confrontation between the police and themselves. Sometime after that, I was asked by an individual to go with her to file a complaint. The complaint involved her minor daughter who was handcuffed to a pole and claimed to be unfairly treated by a police officer. It was my understanding that the complaint would be taken and the proper authorities would address it. Upon arrival at the police department, we were told that a complaint could not be filed because we needed to wait for a particular officer was not present. I and the individual questioned the desk sargeant as to why the complaint could not be registered at that time, while it was fresh in her mind and was told (not so nicely) that was the procedure. We requested to speak with the police chief and was told he was not available. I am sure that his unavailability was true and not just stated to blow us off. When asked if I could leave a message for the Chief to return our call, the desk sargeant refused to take the message (again not so nicely). We left the station not wanting to have a disorderly confrontation. Remembering that I had the card that Chief Zisa handed out, I called his office and left a message. At that time, I was involved in volunteer work at a church on Central Avenue and mentioned the situation to a former president of the Bergen County NAACP who was at the church. He then contacted the police chief and was immediately put through to him. After discussing the situation with the Police Chief, the chief advised him to have us come back to the police station to file the complaint. We went back to the police station and again was told (not so nicely) that the complaint could not be made. We told him about the conversation with the Police Chief and then only after that was the complaint allowed to be filed. The individual filing the complaint had requested that I go with her to make the statement because she would feel more comfortable if I was there. I was told very nastily by the desk sargeant that she could go make the complaint but I would not be allowed to be present. Not wanting to further complicate the situation, I told her to go make the complaint.
In the past couple of months, I have read articles regarding the complaints and disciplinary charges going on in the police department. I have read the civil complaint which was on the internet. Some of the same complaints made by those officers against superior officers are similar to the complaints of some members of the minority community. I am not sure who is right or wrong. I can only await the outcome of all of these lawsuits and internal affairs hearings. If the allegations against the Police Chief and other superior officers are found to be true, it will make me wonder if the police chief took the concerns of the citizens seriously having operated his force and internal affairs complaints in such a manner.