A Jersey City police officer that was just elected to the board of education last week received a 90-day suspension from the department yesterday, which he attributes to “an administrative oversight” and still plans on serving on the governing body.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“This suspension stems from an administrative oversight on my part concerning a sensitive case I was assigned to two years ago. I openly acknowledge my mistake in the course of investigating this case and take full responsibility for my failure to adhere to established policies and procedures.,” Police Det. Dejon Morris said in a statement.
“I commend the Jersey City Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit (JCPD IAU) for holding me accountable for my actions and my deviation from established protocols. I firmly believe that no one should be exempt from the law, and accountability must be upheld when policies and procedures are not followed, including in my own case. I am fully committed to bringing the same level of leadership and accountability to my role serving the Jersey City Board of Education as the JCPD IAU has demonstrated in my own situation.”
A November 13th personnel order from Acting Police Chief Robert Kearns says that Morris “is suspended from pay and duty” from that date through February 13th, 2024. No reason for the suspension is provided.
Morris, a member of the force since 2005, ran on the “Education Matters” ticket backed by the Jersey City Education Association last week, where they pulled off their fourth consecutive clean sweep.
He narrowly defeated Trustee Lorenzo Richardson for the third and final three-year term on the board that was up for grabs, securing the victory by 289 votes, tallies from the Hudson County Clerk’s Office show.
Jersey City Police Officers Benevolent Association (POBA) President Joe Cossolini and JCEA President Ron Greco could not immediately reached for comment Tuesday morning, while a city spokeswoman did not return an email seeking comment.