“Hudson County Police Chief Robert Farley is being accused of assaulting and harassing his officers in a lengthy list of complaints that includes defecating on floors, exposing himself, attempting to drug coworkers and sticking a hypodermic needle into an officer’s penis,” notes Bruno Navarro. The Newark Star-Ledger reports:
A police chief in Hudson County is being accused of assaulting and harassing his officers in a lengthy list of complaints that includes defecating on floors, exposing himself, attempting to drug coworkers and sticking a hypodermic needle into an officer’s penis.
Robert Farley, who was appointed chief of the North Bergen Police Department in February 2024, is also accused of retaliating against an officer who attempted to report him to the New Jersey Attorney General, according to court documents.
Five police officers in North Bergen said they plan to sue over Farley’s alleged behavior, which also includes claims of retaliation, discrimination, sexual misconduct and harassment….township officials have referred the officers’ complaints to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for review to avoid a conflict of interest.
The list of complaints ranges from a pattern of ongoing pranks like putting ink on door handles, setting off car alarms, or leaving crumbs on cops’ desks, to much more serious allegations of using racial slurs, spiking the office coffee pot with Viagra and Adderall, and sending sex toys to an officer’s home.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in my life,” said Patrick Toscano, the attorney who filed the claims on behalf of the police officers.
The officers say Farley’s toxic and abusive behavior had been ongoing since soon after he became chief….Some of the officers say they’ve reported Farley to the Attorney General’s Office and that a state investigation is underway.
New Jersey has the nation’s highest property taxes and one of the highest state income taxes. But the quality of its government services is nowhere near tops. For example, the Reason Foundation says that New Jersey’s highways rank 43rd in urban Interstate pavement condition, 41st in urban arterial pavement condition, and 30th in structurally deficient bridges, despite much higher-than-average spending per mile of road. New Jersey ranks 50th out of the 50 states in traffic congestion, and its drivers spend 104 hours a year stuck in traffic congestion.
There are states that have better police departments, better criminal justice systems, and lower crime rates, despite spending less than New Jersey.
The Democratic Party has carried Hudson County easily in the last ten presidential elections, and most registered voters there are Democrats. North Bergen has a Democratic mayor and local government.
