A mayor in Spotswood, a small town in central New Jersey, is under fire as a fourth of the town’s police officers file lawsuits against the borough. The officers claim abuse, bullying, discrimination, and retaliation within the police department. The situation has escalated to the point where the mayor has asked the state’s attorney general to intervene.
A Broken System in Need of Accountability
Mayor Jackie Palmer has called for the attorney general’s help to address the issues plaguing the police department. She has accused the borough’s internal affairs operation and police leadership of being “broken” and not serving the purpose they should. The mayor emphasizes that these entities should not be used to target or intimidate employees, including police officers and other public officials.
Lawsuits Pile Up
Spotswood, with a population of approximately 8,100 people, has a police department consisting of 24 officers. Six of these officers have already filed suits or expressed their intent to sue the borough this year. Last year, another officer filed a lawsuit as well. The most recent lawsuit, filed by officers James Parsons, Daniel Hoover, Osman Dikiz, and Dominik Skibniewski, accuses the police department’s Internal Affairs Unit of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation.
According to the lawsuit, the officers claim that Police Chief Philip Corbisiero, Richard Sasso Jr. (a senior patrolman who is also suing the borough and the mayor), and acting Capt. Nicholas Mayo have factionalized the department. The officers allege that this is part of a personal vendetta against the mayor and the borough administrator, targeting anyone who does not support the efforts to oust her. The lawsuit also alleges violations of state laws against discrimination and retaliation.
Disturbing Allegations
Among the disturbing allegations detailed in the lawsuit, officer Dikiz claims to have suffered intimidation, harassment, racial and religious discrimination, and unlawful use of force. Dikiz alleges that Sasso, the senior patrolman, even attempted to push his head into a toilet and pressed a Taser to his temple. On the other hand, Patrick Toscano, Sasso’s attorney, dismisses the lawsuit as an attempted “money grab at taxpayers’ expense.”
Fighting Back
In response to the officers’ lawsuit, Sasso filed his own lawsuit against Mayor Palmer, accusing her of abusing her power and obstructing his career. Sasso claims that the mayor refused to promote him as a form of retaliation for her husband’s “forced resignation” from the police department. Sasso also alleges that Palmer ordered police officers to remove a Black man from a municipal building because they felt unsafe. The mayor’s attorney insists that she is being unjustly targeted by a handful of police officers.
The Ripple Effect
The situation continues to escalate, with Police Chief Corbisiero filing a notice of intent to sue the borough for $2.5 million. He alleges interference with the daily operations of the police department and claims that Mayor Palmer insisted on accessing encrypted police radio communications. In response to the mayor’s recent statement highlighting the abuse and discrimination faced by the officers, Corbisiero’s lawyer sent her a cease-and-desist letter regarding her “defamatory press release.”
Criminal Justice in Question
This flurry of lawsuits and allegations raises concerns about the operations and culture within Spotswood’s police department. The attorney general’s office has yet to comment on the situation. The borough’s residents, numbering approximately 8,100, deserve a police department that upholds the highest standards of professionalism, fairness, and accountability.
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