BERGEN POLICE FORCE SWEARS NEW CHIEF

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, March 15, 1992

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | A07

Joel Trella has been sworn as chief of the Bergen County Police Department, where he has spent his entire 23-year law enforcement career. He had been acting chief since October, when Chief Peter Neillands retired.

Eighteen newly promoted officers also were sworn Wednesday.

Trella began his career with the department in 1969, going on to serve in practically every division. As sergeant in charge of training, he developed the program for all K-9 work.

He was a trainer at the Bergen County Police and Fire Academy in Mahwah until 1987, when he became a tour commander. Then, after a stint in charge of police training at the academy, he became a supervisor of investigations with the Special Services Unit, a detective bureau. He held that position until he replaced Neillands.

Trella, 45, was born in Georgia and raised in the City of Passaic. He is a graduate of Garfield High School and Bergen Community College, where he received an associate degree in criminal justice.

Trella, a certified public manager and Navy veteran, has lived in Saddle Brook for the past 20 years. He is married and has two children.

The Bergen County Police Department begun as a one-person motorcycle patrol in 1917 is a 90-member force that handles law-enforcement chores that are too expensive or complicated for local departments to handle alone, as well as security at county-owned buildings and patrol of county highways. The department includes the K-9 unit, a SWAT team, a scuba-diving team, and a narcotics task force.

Promoted to captain were James Byrne, John Schmidig, and Edward Schmalz. New lieutenants are Paul Ortenzio, Victor Cuttitta, Steven Babiak, Paul Kohl, Uwe Malakas, Paul Hammell, Scott Storms, Frank Prelich, Joseph Kersting, James Spahr, Kevin Hartnett, and Marc Fenech. Promoted to sergeant were Stephen Blehl, Jean Rothenberger, and George Gibbs.

Notes: Bergen page

SCHUBER LEADS REGIONALIZATION TALKS

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, June 2, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A03

In the first of what new Bergen County Executive William “Pat” Schuber said he hopes will become regular meetings of municipal leaders, representatives of 45 county communities met with him Saturday to talk about regionalization and consolidation of services.
“The county is not that big anymore,” New Milford Mayor Theresa M. King said. “It’s 70 towns, and we all have the same problems. My concern is that the county put forth programs that do not duplicate themselves, that we don’t add . . . bureaucracy and additional costs.”
Saturday’s meeting, organized by Schuber and Charles O’Dowd, chairman of the Board of Freeholders, among others, examined regionalization in areas such as health, law enforcement, recycling, and a countywide 911 system.
“Regionalization as a word does not mean the end of home rule,” Schuber told those gathered, “but instead represents an approach which will aid communities during these most difficult economic times such as [those] we are facing.”
County government, Schuber said, will take a lead role in helping the towns find ways to share services and concentrate efforts to take advantage of the economies of scale.
One area that is being scrutinized is the potential for regionalizing law enforcement. First Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Paul Brickfield announced that a commission to study how that could be done would be named in July, with meetings and hearings scheduled in August and September.
He said many communities already share dispatching duties, have mutual aid assistance programs, and work together in other ways.
When asked what would happened if a town decided to opt out of a regional arrangement, Brickfield said that would be an impediment only if the proposal was for one central police department for the whole county.
“It is unlikely at this stage that a plan would emerge seeking that all 70 towns join into one force. The trend in the short term is for neighboring towns to at least start to share services, and look at consolidation later,” Brickfield said.
Regionalization is a bitter medicine for some, however, even those like Ridgefield Park Mayor Fred J. Criscuolo, who served on the Inter-local Governmental Relations Committee of the Schuber transition team.
The concept of regionalization is a direct attack on home rule that would cause the deterioration of municipalities by the year 2000, Criscuolo said. But he said municipalities have little choice.
“Since it’s been forced on us, it is the only way to go,” Criscuolo said. “Funding is almost terminated in most areas. With various laws and mandates from the state that require even more money, I think regionalization, or as we call it, intergovernmental relationship, is the only way to go.”
O’Dowd said he realized regionalization might be difficult to achieve politically.
“There are two standards to be met when we talk about cooperation and regionalization: will the service improve and will the cost decrease,” O’Dowd said. “If we can put all the cobwebs out of our brain about home rule and local control and understand that we’ll still have that because it is our decision to make. If we meet those two standards, then we have served our people and served them well.”

Keywords: HACKENSACK; BERGEN COUNTY; EXECUTIVE; MEETING; GOVERNMENT; OFFICIAL

Notes: Bergen page

COUNCILMAN TIPS OFF POLICE TO BURGLARY

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Saturday, April 6, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A03

When he left home to go on a walk with his 9-year-old daughter Thursday night, little did Councilman Paul Ostrow know that he would witness a burglary, then start a manhunt.
As a result, township police charged Robert “Speedo” Merritt, 34, of 1088 Arlington Ave., Teaneck, with two counts of burglary and theft Friday. He was being held in lieu of $20,000 bail in the Bergen County Jail.
Ostrow, walking out of his home on Grayson Place at 7:17 p.m., heard a sound near a window of a nearby house, followed by the sound of a man falling inside the home.
“Are you OK? ” Ostrow, a member of the Teaneck Volunteer Ambulance Corps, said he asked the person, thinking it was his neighbor. “My first instinct was to see if anyone needed help or was hurt. “
The suspect asked Ostrow who he was before ordering him to get away from the house.
Ostrow and his daughter saw the man emerge from a window, come toward them, then cross the street and run in the opposite direction, toward Prince Street. He called Teaneck police from his home and gave them a description of the suspect and told them the direction he was headed in.
“When you actually see a human being in the act of this form of terror, you can’t understand how people can treat other people’s lives and property in a way that they would not like to be treated themselves,” Ostrow said.
Nothing was taken from the Grayson Place home. But when police saw Merritt walking east on the westbound side of Route 4, he had a pillowcase slung over his shoulder. The pillowcase contained several stereo and VCR items stolen from a Palisade Avenue home about 8 p.m. They chased him to Cranford Street, where a county police dog found him hiding behind shrubbery.
Merritt is also charged with possession of burglary tools, receiving stolen property, and driving with a suspended license, stemming from his arrest by Fort Lee police Feb. 19.

Keywords: TEANECK; GOVERNMENT; OFFICIAL; BURGLARY

BROTHER OF JERSEY CITY MAYOR CHARGED WITH DRUNKEN DRIVING

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Sunday, March 10, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | All Editions | NEWS | Page A05

Thomas W. McCann, acting head of the Hudson County Parks Division and brother of Mayor Gerald McCann, was charged Saturday with drunken driving.
Police said tests revealed that McCann, 38, of 238 Pearsall Ave., had a blood-alcohol level of 0.21 percent, more than twice the level of 0.10 percent at which a driver in New Jersey is presumed to be drunk.
Jersey City police Officer Ed Jennings was dispatched at 7 a.m. to Coles Street and Newark Avenue where a man was reported to be asleep behind the wheel of a stopped vehicle. McCann, police said, was behind the wheel of a white 1988 Dodge Ram, a Hudson County government vehicle.
Jennings, in his report on the arrest, said McCann was “slumped” over the steering wheel and the motor was running. The car was in gear, and McCann had his foot on the brake, Jennings said. Jennings said he and other officers tried to wake McCann up and succeeded after “repeated” attempts.
Neither McCann, who was released on his own recognizance, nor his brother, the mayor, could be reached for comment Saturday.

Keywords: PARK; HUDSON COUNTY; ALCOHOL; ABUSE; TEST; NEW JERSEY; JERSEY CITY; GOVERNMENT; OFFICIAL

BRIDGE CHIEF TAKES WING; TOP COP AT AIR HUBS IN NATION’S CAPITAL

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Wednesday, February 27, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | Section: SOUTHEAST/YOUR TOWN RECORD | Page 3

The retired commander of the George Washington Bridge took down the awards and plaques adorning his office with a pang of sadness, but a few weeks later, he was hanging them up at his new job as police chief for Washington’s airports.
Capt. Joseph Hurtuk went from overseeing one of the world’s busiest bridges to monitoring the airports that ferry some of the nation’s top lawmakers. In January, Hurtuk became police chief and chief of operations for Washington’s National and Dulles International airports.
“Being a Jersey kid all my life, it’s a big move. I’m not frightened of it though,” said Hurtuk, 45.
During his 23 years with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police, Hurtuk held several positions, including head of the Port Authority Police Academy and commander of the George Washington Bridge and Bus Station for the last 3 1/2 years.
Hurtuk’s most important task as bridge commander was keeping the traffic moving on the Hudson River crossing. With 300,000 motorists using the bridge each day, even a minor accident can snarl traffic for hours.
Over the years, Hurtuk’s job became increasingly difficult due to the growing volume of motorists, as well as the drug traffic that used the bridge.
Hurtuk, who retired as bridge commander in December, drew words of praise from Port Authority Police Chief Charles Newman and Ken Philmus, manager of the bridge.
“Joe had a tremendous impact on deciding which roadways to close and which ones to keep open,” said Philmus.
Added Newman, “We never gave him an assignment that he didn’t do to the best of his ability and in a superior manner. “
Hurtuk, who lives in Hillsborough, displayed the same devotion to volunteer work for retarded children and adults, becoming the director of New Jersey’s Law Enforcement Torch Run in 1984. New Jersey police officers have raised thousands of dollars for the Special Olympics, and the tally exceeded $300,000 in 1989.
“It’s just a way of giving back to people who are less fortunate than I am,” Hurtuk said. “Special Olympians try to do their best, and we in law enforcement have a certain synergism with them because we are trying to do our best, too.”

Keywords: FORT LEE; BRIDGE; POLICE; OFFICIAL; RETIREMENT; WASHINGTON, DC; AVIATION; JOSEPH HURTUK

POLICE LAYOFFS MAY FOIL TETERBORO PLAN

By Michael O. Allen, Record Staff Writer | Thursday, January 24, 1991

The Record (New Jersey) | Four Star B | NEWS | Page B03

County Executive William “Pat” Schuber’s proposal to lay off eight county police officers this year could derail Teterboro’s plan to have the department absorb four of its officers, officials say.
The proposal would have had the department, which has 95 officers, take on the four borough police officers in exchange for compensation.
But Jerrold Binney, Schuber’s chief of staff, said the proposed layoffs would imperil that plan. Bringing in the Teterboro officers whose experience ranges from seven to 18 years would create difficulties in assessing seniority levels, he said.
Borough Manager Michael W. Tedesco could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
Peter Neillands, Bergen County police chief and director of public safety, was formally notified Wednesday that 21 employees from the county Division of Public Safety, including the eight police officers, would be laid off. Freeholders have not yet formally approved the layoffs.

Keywords: BERGEN COUNTY; GOVERNMENT; OFFICIAL; TETERBORO; POLICE; EMPLOYMENT