Star-Ledger
Two Randolph cops confessed this week to covering up a drunken driving arrest for the relative of a fellow colleague.
The officers, Patrolmen Stephen Kepler, 49, and Shawn Boyhan, 31, admitted they deleted the arrest record and tweaked the official police report to cover up the crime. Now they’re both out of a job.
A few towns heading east, two Irvington police officers are accused of lying about a fight at a supermarket in 2007. Officials say the two removed a surveillance video showing that one of the officers had punched a customer in the face.
The charges against Brian Rice and Brandis Puryear include conspiracy, official misconduct and tampering with evidence. If convicted, they face up to 10 years in prison.
Some officers blow their careers on far pettier offenses. Veteran Edison police officer David Yanvary, 55, was placed on probation this week after pleading guilty to shoplifting $42 worth of merchandise. And let’s not forget Morris Plains police officer Michael Wormer. Last year, the 45-year-old retired lieutenant went down for a phony $680 uniform reimbursement claim.
Yes, the stories of cops gone bad in New Jersey are disturbing. But even though some corruption is inevitable, the truth is most police officers are honest. It’s a few bad apples that tarnish the badge.
That’s a shame. Such incidents cause police to lose the public’s trust. But state law enforcement officials are making strides to improve oversight of local departments. For example, New Jersey has a detailed set of statewide regulations on handling civilian complaints and police misconduct. As a result, officers seem more inclined to break the “blue wall of silence” when it comes to wrongdoers.
That’s a good thing -- and the only way to protect good cops and root out bad ones.
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