The Professional Responsibility and Bias Crimes Bureau is comprised of an assistant prosecutor, who serves as the director, a lieutenant, sergeant, detectives and support staff.

Professional Responsibility Unit

The Professional Responsibility Unit handles all investigations and prosecutions involving allegations of criminal conduct by police officers that take place throughout Monmouth County. This includes, but is not limited to, allegations of excessive force, corruption, racial profiling, selective enforcement, sexual assault, mistreatment of prisoners, evidence tampering and other forms of Official Misconduct. Cases come from direct complaints of private citizens, referrals from municipal internal affairs units, referrals from the Attorney General’s Office and those initiated by this Unit. In addition, this Unit also handles other types of general investigations related to police officers’ conduct.

Additionally, this Unit is responsible for investigating all discharges of firearms by law enforcement personnel and review of motor vehicle pursuits ending with a participant or a third party sustaining serious bodily injury or death. This unit also supplies legal assistance to the municipal and county agencies in terms of guidance upon conducting internal affairs (administrative) investigations.

The Professional Responsibility Unit is on call 24 hours a day by calling 1-800-533-7443.

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The 4 A’s of Internal Affairs

1. ANYONE – Any individual must be permitted to file an Internal Affairs complaint. It can be a victim, a friend of the victim, a parent, a juvenile (with or without parents), an illegal alien (we are not permitted to ask about immigration status) or it can be anonymous. ANYONE means ANYONE.

2. ANY WAY – An Internal Affairs complaint can be filed in ANY WAY. It could be filed by phone, by letter, written on a napkin, in person… Whatever is best for the person filing. We cannot make someone show up in person or swear the statement to initiate the complaint process.

3. ANY TIME – A complaint must be taken regardless of the hour or day of the week. At no time should a complaint be told to return later, even if the IA officer is unavailable. ANY law enforcement officer or civilian employee must take a complaint.

4. ANYTHING – As long as a complaint has sufficient factual information, the complaint must be investigated. It is predicated upon the victim’s view of the situation.

* * * LAW ENFORCEMENT MUST AVOID ANY LANGUAGE THAT IS DESIGNED TO DISSUADE SOMEBODY FROM FILING A COMPLAINT.

2019 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS SUMMARY REPORTS
Countywide Law Enforcement Agencies

TABLE 1: Complaints Filed
Type of Complaint Anonymous Complaints Citizens Complaints Agency Complaints Total Complaints
Excessive Force 0 28 2 30
Improper Arrest 0 2 0 2
Improper Entry 0 1 0 1
Improper Search 0 11 0 11
Other Criminal Violation 1 41 18 60
Differential Treatment 0 28 0 28
Demeanor 6 174 14 194
Domestic Violence 0 4 3 7
Other Rule Violation 9 81 240 330
TOTAL 16 370 277 663
Table 2: Agency Dispositions
Type of Complaint Sustained Exonerated Not Sustained Unfounded Administratively Closed Total Dispositions
Excessive Force 0 24 8 3 0 35
Improper Arrest 0 2 1 1 0 4
Improper Entry 0 0 0 0 1 1
Improper Search 1 7 0 1 0 9
Other Criminal Violation 2 14 11 8 9 44
Differential Treatment 0 15 5 4 2 26
Demeanor 24 84 31 34 15 188
Domestic Violence 1 0 5 1 6 13
Other Rule Violation 173 68 30 29 24 324
TOTAL 201 214 91 81 57 644
Table 3: Court Dispositions
Court Cases Dismissed Cases Diverted Acquittals Convictions
Municipal Court 0 0 0 0
Superior Court 0 1 0 1
TOTAL 0 1 0 1

2019 Professional Standards Summary Report

2018 Professional Standards Summary Report

2017 Professional Standards Summary Report

2016 Professional Standards Summary Report

2015 Professional Standards Summary Report

2014 Professional Standards Summary Report

2013 Professional Standards Summary Report

As per the Attorney General’s Internal Affairs Policies and Procedures, every law enforcement agency must report internal affairs activity to the county prosecutor on an internal affairs summary report form, which includes the number of cases by type of case received and disposed of during the reporting period.  The statistics included here represent the total number of cases countywide.

2020 PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS SUMMARY REPORT
Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office

TABLE 1: Complaints Filed
Type of Complaint Anonymous Complaints Citizens Complaints Agency Complaints Total Complaints
Excessive Force 0 0 0 0
Improper Arrest 0 0 0 0
Improper Entry 0 0 0 0
Improper Search 0 0 0 0
Other Criminal Violation 0 1 0 1
Differential Treatment 0 0 0 0
Demeanor 0 0 0 0
Domestic Violence 0 0 0 0
Other Rule Violation 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 0 1 0 1
Table 3: Court Dispositions
Court Cases Dismissed Cases Diverted Acquittals Convictions
Municipal Court 0 0 0 0
Superior Court 0 0 0 0
TOTAL 0 0 0 0

2019 Professional Standards Summary Report (MCPO)

2018 Professional Standards Summary Report (MCPO)

Bias Crimes and Community Relations Unit

Preventing and combating hate crimes are among Monmouth County’s most important challenges. Crimes motivated by a victim’s race, religion, color, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender identity or expression or national origin and ethnicity threaten our most cherished ideals. Hate incidents and crimes have a profound impact on both victims and communities, and present unique challenges for law enforcement.

The Bias Crimes and Community Relations Unit is responsible for the proactive and reactive investigation of all bias crimes in Monmouth County. Members of this unit are on the Executive Board of the Monmouth County Bias and Gang Officers Association and the Monmouth County Human Relations Commission. The Bias Crimes and Community Relations Unit is also responsible for providing law enforcement training programs relating to the detection and investigation of hate crimes, anti-bullying, and cultural diversity and sensitivity. Members of this Unit also conduct presentations to community groups on several of these topics. To request a speaker for a community based group or organization, please send a written request to the Bias Crimes and Community Relations Unit at the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office or by e-mailing the Unit at mcpopru@mcponj.org

Bias Crimes Brochures