In a letter to the editor, retired Jersey City Police Officer Ramon Aponte goes after Police Superior Officers Association President Capt. Pawel Wojtowicz for his criticisms of Ward E Councilman James Solomon and former Council President Rolando Lavarro.
Dear Editor,
I recently read a letter by Captain Pawel Wojtowicz of the Jersey City Police Department, who represents superior officers as the President of the Jersey City Superior Officer Association and must address the glaring inaccuracies.
Quite simply, Captain Wojtowicz is scaremongering and is just plain wrong. According to JerseyCity.gov, homicides decreased by 40% from 2014-2024, as well as shootings by 45%.
But for the crimes mentioned by Captain Wojtowicz – robberies and burglaries – 2024 crime stats show a total of 480 incidents with robberies and 577 with burglaries.
What we don’t have his historical data for residents to see and compare if these crimes have increased or decreased in previous years. Rapes are not even mentioned in any of the charts provided by public safety, so how did he get these numbers?
These numbers are questionable considering that, in recent years, Jersey City crime statistics like CompStat and Uniform Crime Report (UCR) have not been available for residents to view.
Interestingly, the superior officers of the Jersey City Police Department, who publicly endorsed former New Jersey Governor Jim McGreevey, are attacking two specific candidates who are running for Mayor and City Councilor for Jersey City – Councilman James Solomon of Ward E and former City Council President Rolando Lavarro.
These attacks distract voters from the real issues regarding public safety, issues that superior officers are afraid to admit. JCPD has seen many promotions go through the rank and file for the past decade.
During these occasions, Jersey City residents and watchdogs questioned the need for the enormous number of chiefs and captains serving in a department with approximately 877 officers.
Compared to NYPD, which has over 36,000 officers in five boroughs, JCPD comes close to NYPD numbers regarding how many chiefs serve and command units. In an article published by JerseyCityTimes.com, I point out the following questions:
1. Why does JCPD have 18 deputy chiefs leading a department of 877 officers?
2. What is the job description(s) of these 18 deputy chiefs, and how many personnel are under their command?
3. How much are taxpayers paying to house 18 deputy chiefs, and what are the ramifications to taxpayers regarding having 18 DCs leading only a department of 877 compared to NYPD’s 20 for over 36,000?
Without answers to these questions, this issue possesses more questions than answers. I am suggesting that you, as Jersey City taxpayers, have to wonder about the motivation behind these attacks.
As a retired police officer who also grew up in Jersey City and attended Jersey City public schools and university, I have witnessed James Soloman and Rolando Lavarro’s work in providing and advocating for Jersey City and its first responders.
Instead of focusing on the citizens of Jersey City, JCPSOA is focusing on its agenda and funding a candidate it hopes will keep the status quo.
Respectfully,
Ramon Aponte Jr M.S., M.P.A.
JCPD retired officer
Disabled Combat Veteran of the Marine Corps
