Post by WaTcHeR on Oct 12, 2006 11:41:31 GMT -5
10.12.2006 - IRVINGTON, NJ - County officials said Officer Frederick T. Southerland of the Irvington Police Department has been arrested and charged with stealing evidence — including guns, drugs and case files — from the department he works for.
Although Southerland was initially taken into custody at work last Friday night by officers from the Prosecutor’s Office, according to spokesman Paul Loriquet, he posted bail after spending the weekend in the Essex County Correctional Facility. As the Irvington Herald went to press Tuesday night, Loriquet said his arraignment date has not yet been set.
Southerland has been charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree receiving stolen property. If convicted he could serve up to 10 years in prison.
Irvington Police Chief Michael Chase said Southerland is currently assigned to the patrol division, but he was once a detective who served in the Department’s Internal Affairs and Juvenile Affairs Bureau. He said he has been a patrol officer for more than six months.
“In civil service there are two aspects of any investigation and prosecution — the criminal and the administrative — that have to be performed,” Chase said. “The Prosecutor’s Office is handling the criminal aspect of this case, but we will definitely be involved once that is completed on the administrative end and possible in the criminal aspect as well since Internal Affairs will likely get involved in it.”
Chase said it would be inappropriate at this time to comment on Southerland’s service record or his character. He said the one thing people should keep in mind as this incident plays itself out is that he, like everyone else involved, is a human being subject to the same frailties and foibles as anyone else — he just happens to work on a job that is physically, emotionally and mentally stressful.
“I won’t comment on whether he was a good officer or a bad officer, because that’s besides the point,” he said. “He’s facing criminal charges and an investigation is currently under way to determine their veracity or falsehood.”
Chase said he would like to say that just because there might be one or two bad apples in the Irvington Police Department barrel, that does not mean the whole bunch is bad.
“The tree is hurt but it lives on, and the fruit is good, though some of it does fall down,” he said. “Two officers out of 136 comprise 1 1/3 percent of the department, which is not indicative of anything. It just goes to show that everybody is capable of getting in trouble. The police department isn’t bad because one or two officers are thought to be bad.”
Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow and Passaic County Prosecutor James Avigliano announced Southerland’s arrest at a press conference on Sept. 23. The 18-year veteran with the police department was arrested Sept. 22 at 11 p.m., while on duty, and charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree receiving stolen property.
According to Dow, on Sept. 21, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office working on information provided by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, recovered evidence that had been stored at a public storage facility located on Springfield Avenue in Union. A citizen, later identified in published accounts as the brother of Passaic County Detective Richard Diaz of Sparta, had purchased the material at auction, when Southerland had failed to pay the storage fee.
The citizen contacted the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office upon discovering weapons and narcotics in Irvington Police Department evidence bags. Authorities said five handguns, approximately 30 evidence bags containing cocaine, heroin and marijuana, and a number of case files from the Irvington Juvenile Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau were recovered from the storage unit.
“Citizens of Irvington have been calling out for increased safety in their neighborhoods,” Dow said. “One rogue cop brings undeserved criticism to an entire police department. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
Superior Court Judge Nancy Sivilli set Southerland’s bail at $100,000. If convicted, authorities said he faces up to 10 years in state Prison.
However, law enforcement and elected officials alike stressed that the charges Southerland is facing are still “mere accusations” at this point in time. They said he and other defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law, and the public has to remember that.
“There is no excuse for what he allegedly did, but the key word here is ‘allegedly,’” Chase said. “A court of law will determine what did and did not happen. In America we have the concept of innocent until proven guilty, but people should know this is not the standard of conduct or procedures in the Irvington Police Department.”
Mayor Wayne Smith echoed Chase’s sentiments. He said even though all the evidence in the world is seemingly stacked against Southerland he has the right to due process the same as any of the criminals he and other law-enforcement personnel deal with.
“The Irvington Police Department cooperated fully with the Prosecutor’s Office,” he said. “When an officer is in a situation like this then you know the prosecutor’s going to aggressively pursue it. However, until we complete the investigation we don’t know for sure exactly what happened.”
www.localsource.com/articles/2006/09/28/irvington_herald/news/local/doc451aaebc5cba8531927340.txt
Although Southerland was initially taken into custody at work last Friday night by officers from the Prosecutor’s Office, according to spokesman Paul Loriquet, he posted bail after spending the weekend in the Essex County Correctional Facility. As the Irvington Herald went to press Tuesday night, Loriquet said his arraignment date has not yet been set.
Southerland has been charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree receiving stolen property. If convicted he could serve up to 10 years in prison.
Irvington Police Chief Michael Chase said Southerland is currently assigned to the patrol division, but he was once a detective who served in the Department’s Internal Affairs and Juvenile Affairs Bureau. He said he has been a patrol officer for more than six months.
“In civil service there are two aspects of any investigation and prosecution — the criminal and the administrative — that have to be performed,” Chase said. “The Prosecutor’s Office is handling the criminal aspect of this case, but we will definitely be involved once that is completed on the administrative end and possible in the criminal aspect as well since Internal Affairs will likely get involved in it.”
Chase said it would be inappropriate at this time to comment on Southerland’s service record or his character. He said the one thing people should keep in mind as this incident plays itself out is that he, like everyone else involved, is a human being subject to the same frailties and foibles as anyone else — he just happens to work on a job that is physically, emotionally and mentally stressful.
“I won’t comment on whether he was a good officer or a bad officer, because that’s besides the point,” he said. “He’s facing criminal charges and an investigation is currently under way to determine their veracity or falsehood.”
Chase said he would like to say that just because there might be one or two bad apples in the Irvington Police Department barrel, that does not mean the whole bunch is bad.
“The tree is hurt but it lives on, and the fruit is good, though some of it does fall down,” he said. “Two officers out of 136 comprise 1 1/3 percent of the department, which is not indicative of anything. It just goes to show that everybody is capable of getting in trouble. The police department isn’t bad because one or two officers are thought to be bad.”
Essex County Prosecutor Paula Dow and Passaic County Prosecutor James Avigliano announced Southerland’s arrest at a press conference on Sept. 23. The 18-year veteran with the police department was arrested Sept. 22 at 11 p.m., while on duty, and charged with second-degree official misconduct and third-degree receiving stolen property.
According to Dow, on Sept. 21, the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office working on information provided by the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department, recovered evidence that had been stored at a public storage facility located on Springfield Avenue in Union. A citizen, later identified in published accounts as the brother of Passaic County Detective Richard Diaz of Sparta, had purchased the material at auction, when Southerland had failed to pay the storage fee.
The citizen contacted the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office upon discovering weapons and narcotics in Irvington Police Department evidence bags. Authorities said five handguns, approximately 30 evidence bags containing cocaine, heroin and marijuana, and a number of case files from the Irvington Juvenile Bureau and Internal Affairs Bureau were recovered from the storage unit.
“Citizens of Irvington have been calling out for increased safety in their neighborhoods,” Dow said. “One rogue cop brings undeserved criticism to an entire police department. We will prosecute this case to the fullest extent of the law.”
Superior Court Judge Nancy Sivilli set Southerland’s bail at $100,000. If convicted, authorities said he faces up to 10 years in state Prison.
However, law enforcement and elected officials alike stressed that the charges Southerland is facing are still “mere accusations” at this point in time. They said he and other defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty in a court of law, and the public has to remember that.
“There is no excuse for what he allegedly did, but the key word here is ‘allegedly,’” Chase said. “A court of law will determine what did and did not happen. In America we have the concept of innocent until proven guilty, but people should know this is not the standard of conduct or procedures in the Irvington Police Department.”
Mayor Wayne Smith echoed Chase’s sentiments. He said even though all the evidence in the world is seemingly stacked against Southerland he has the right to due process the same as any of the criminals he and other law-enforcement personnel deal with.
“The Irvington Police Department cooperated fully with the Prosecutor’s Office,” he said. “When an officer is in a situation like this then you know the prosecutor’s going to aggressively pursue it. However, until we complete the investigation we don’t know for sure exactly what happened.”
www.localsource.com/articles/2006/09/28/irvington_herald/news/local/doc451aaebc5cba8531927340.txt