Keansburg police told: Requalify or lose guns

Asbury Park Press ^ | April 2, 2002 | Sherry Figdore

[dbwz]

KEANSBURG -- Monmouth County Prosecutor John Kaye is issuing a directive today ordering every Keansburg police officer to go through new firearms qualifications testing by May 1 or he will disarm the entire department.

Kaye said yesterday that he still hasn't received enough information to determine whether suspended Police Chief Raymond B. O'Hare falsified firearms qualification records for some of his officers, one of the charges that led to his suspension on March 14.

[dbwz]

*

[Shooter 2.5]

Where is this little comic opera happening, New Jersey?

Even Barney Fife had one cartridge and a revolver to put it in, not like these Keystone Kops.

[fogarty]

That officer makes a certification, under oath, to the prosecutor, as to the day each officer qualified, or if he failed to show up, Kaye said.

And it seems the majority of cops haven't been qualified in a couple years.....therefore....in a truly just system there would be one officer out of every department on trial for perjury right now. Of course, in America, cops are above the law - so oaths and vows don't apply, do they?

[Cable225]

Where is this little comic opera happening, New Jersey?

Yes, unfortunately. Keansburg is one of a bunch of small towns that stretch down the Route 36 corridor of the Monmouth County shoreline. Having had K'burg as a neighbor for most of my life, let me say it has ALWAYS been a corrupt little sewer, with a less than reputable police department.

The whole town is pretty much owned by one or two families, and they've been calling the shots there for as long as I can remember.

[Shooter 2.5]

Thanks. It sounds like they didn't want to pay the ammo allotments.

[genefromjersey]

Probably the mayor didn't want to spend money on police qualifications.It's pretty much an "old boy" department in a corrupt little town.If Prosecutor Kaye were to check, he'd probably find most of the little towns are using the same/similar dodges.

The county in question-Monmouth-has always been pretty solidly Republican...and more anti-gun than Middlesex, its Democratic neighbor to the north. ( Go figure ! )

NJ has pretty much always suffered from "clubhouse" politics:the only difference being the location and label of the clubhouse. (The Dems usually operate out of a downtown location ; the Pubs out of a local country club.)

To be perfectly accurate, neither party in this state could be called "liberal" or "conservative". What they both are is dedicated : to gaining and keeping power.

[dbwz]

If Prosecutor Kaye were to check, he'd probably find most of the little towns are using the same/similar dodges.

Scary, isn't it? I wish he would check! These are the people who we're becoming increasingly dependent on to save the day, precisely because of this...

The county in question-Monmouth-has always been pretty solidly Republican...and more anti-gun than Middlesex, its Democratic neighbor to the north. ( Go figure ! )

I went to school in Monmouth county, and most of my friends were there, so I know the type - most of these folks are NYC runaways who bring their city mentality with them. The cops in these tiny little towns are only too happy to oblige them when the people want to give them more power to "keep children safe."

To be perfectly accurate, neither party in this state could be called "liberal" or "conservative". What they both are is dedicated : to gaining and keeping power.

No argument from me there. There are a lot of things I like about living here, but the prevailing mindset needs to change, and I know full well it isn't going to happen overnight. My patience hasn't run out quite yet, but it's getting there.

[Exit 109]

There's more going on here than just 'business as usual' in Keansburg. Keansburg is a non-partisan town. Their elections are in the spring (I believe May is the correct month).

This is an election issue. Big slap to the pubbies for leaving themselves open for this. They should have seen it coming after what happened two years ago - when the newly elected Dem mayor fired the pubbie police officers in that town.

[dbwz]

One of my thoughts upon reading this was that Mr. Kaye the prosecutor must have some definite political aspirations of his own. You don't pull a move like this in gov't unless you want some attention - you sure don't do it because it's the right thing!

Ooo, am I the cynic or WHAT?

[stumpy]

Today is the 21st anniversary of when I QUIT being a cop. However I still believe if your going to pack a gun you should be a distinguished expert in the use of it and must qualify every month.

Everytime I got a new partner to work with I'd tell them we had to go to the range at the end of our first shift and shoot for "beers". Using wheel guns (six shooters for the uninformed), the deal was to put 10 bullets in the head of the silohuette target in under 35 seconds. First one done won the beer. I usually did it in 28 seconds.

I would then explain to the new partner that if anybody grabbed him and tried to use him as a hostage to get me to give up my gun like Powell & Smith (the Onion Field Killers), I was going to kill the bad guy behind him, and he'd best be practicing to be able to save my bacon too. Then I'd teach them how. Cheapest life insurance policy anybody could buy.

[Exit 109]

Cynic? Nah, you've just seen enough silliness over the years to expect nothing less. If I wasn't somewhat familiar with the situation there, my initial reaction would have been the same as yours.

As for Kaye . . . he's been the MonCo prosecutor since the mid 80's (to the best of my recollection). There have been other cases during his tenure that would have been better political currency if he was interested in running for office. I honestly think that in this case, his hands are tied.