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Who Runs Newark’s Police Department ?

by Victor M. Saraiva

Recently it became common knowledge that there was some friction between Newark’s police director Gerry McCarthy and its new police chief Anthony Campos.  McCarthy was brought in by Mayor Booker in an attempt to modernize law enforcement operations and tactics so as to target problem areas of the city.                                      

Some of McCarthy’s strategies have been the use of a helicopter, surveillance cameras, dummy police cars (faking a police presence), revitalizing patrols with previously desk bound officers, changing patrol routes, focusing on crime statistics to define areas of drug traffic, and gang activity.  McCarthy also revitalized the anti-gang task force, which previously was a 9-5 duty active during weekdays only.  I guess gangs, in the past, kept banker's hours.

After more than one year, McCarthy’s efforts are paying off.  So it is surprising, that recently a conflict between Campos and McCarthy erupted onto the stage of the city council when McCarthy suspended Chief Campos for reversing McCarthy’s decision to transfer personnel to different duties.

But the real surprise came when it was disclosed that Pablo Fonseca, Mayor Booker’s chief of staff, “has demanded to be consulted on personnel moves within the police department, according to the officials.” (Star-Ledger March 11, 2008, p. 13).                                                     

Why Booker’s chief of staff needs to know which cops are working where, when and why is anybody’s guess.  If I were Gerry McCarthy, would I be concerned ?  Sure!  Civilians have no business butting their nose into such matters, unless questions of corruption are being considered, and for that reason, Internal Affairs was created.                  

Just as effective law enforcement depends on intelligence, likewise effective organized crime depends on eyes and ears intelligence within the police department.                              

Mayor Booker should be credited with bringing McCarthy to Newark, but he should now recognize that some of Newark’s problems are not just in the street but also potentially in-house-- I think McCarthy has come to realize this.  Neither Booker nor any of his staff has any business sniffing into police department activities, and if such a need arises, maybe its time to unleash the city’s new Inspector General.  But unfortunately rather than using an attorney with experience in prosecutorial duties, Booker has chosen a police homicide detective still paid through the police department to be the city's muckracker.  What was Booker thinking in that appointment, and why is Booker’s chief of staff keeping tabs on police department staff assignments?  Strange indeed.