Posted on 04/11/2002 7:12:18 AM PDT by freeperfromnj
(Paterson-WABC, April 10, 2002) — Officers were shaking down a local New Jersey jail Wednesday, where officials say several gang members were planning to riot and then break out. Authorities in Passaic say the plan to escape from the county jail this weekend included a riot and the killing of at least one corrections officer. Police were going through the jail late Wednesday, rounding up suspects. David Ushery reports from Paterson with details.
Members of the emergency response team of the Passaic County sheriff's department were going through the jail, looking for the gang members who had allegedly planned to escape this weekend, and even kill a corrections officer. The sheriff said officers were targeting about 16 inmates, members of different gangs. The sheriff said the plan not only endangered residents in the Paterson community, but also the lives of his officers.
The Passaic County Jail houses 1,600 inmates, most of them violent offenders. But the focus of Wednesday night's raid at the jail was on leaders of some notorious gangs, including the Bloods, the Crypts and the Latin Kings. A newly formed gang intelligence unit at the jail uncovered plans for a major disturbance. The Passaic County Sheriff said he was on his way to Washington DC, but returned immediately after hearing about the plot.
Sheriff Jerry Speziale, Passaic County: "There had been a plot in the facility to have sporadic brush fires in different holding areas, so that everybody that was part of this gang would be shipped to the bullpen area where they would be waiting for their discipline, to go to a different unit. Once they were all confined into that one housing area, they were planning to overtake the first floor, where the keys are to the entire building, and escape from the facility."
Sheriff Speziale said there are about 16 gang leaders suspected of organizing the plan, and says it was more than just an escape.
Sheriff Speziale: "I was told by the gang intelligence unit that there was going to be an initiation process, to initiate new gang members in the facility, and that basically one of the initiation things was to hurt or kill an officer. That's why we are taking this so seriously."
The Passaic County Jail has also been the main facility housing INS detainees, most of whom were apprehended after September 11th. The sheriff said it was unclear whether any of them were involved. He said that come daybreak he would have a lot more answers.
Sheriff Speziale: "We going to go with hundred officers into the facility, with dogs... and we are going to take all of the gang members that were identified in part of this operation, segregate them so that they can't communicate together, some we're shipping out to state prison, and then we're going to continue with our operation of shaking down the entire facility."
The sheriff, who was elected in January was responsible for setting up the gang intelligence unit at the county jail. It is likely that he was anxious to show off some early results. TV crews were invited to take pictures of the raid Wednesday night because he wanted to send a clear message that "this kind of activity would not be tolerated and the response will be swift and decisive." The shakedown continued late into Wednesday night.
The County jail was housing a number of "Kings" on a contract basis with the State Prison, and was reluctant to lose revenue by demanding these violent inmates be moved : an abuse that has been going on for many years in NJ.
2. State Police ARE effective, but almost have to wait for invitation to operate in a city or town.
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