One North Bergen police officer resigned over a sexual assault case, while another was suspended for making improper jokes last year, according to the department’s major annual discipline report.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“Officer Roberto Gonzalez was immediately suspended on March 8, 2023, when he charged with Sexual Assault (N.J.S.A. 2C:14-2C(1)) a crime of the second degree for behavior that occurred while off duty. Criminal case is still pending,” the report says.
“The Internal Affairs investigation was sustained based on the officer’s statement during an interview with the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. The department moved for termination, but Officer [Gonzalez] resigned on November 11, 2024, pending termination.”
Gonzalez was the only officer on the North Bergen PD’s 2023 major discipline report for the same incident in question.
Police Det. Frank Mena was the only other officer that received major discipline in 2024, receiving a 10-day suspension for sustained internal affairs charges of conduct unbecoming of a public employee and violating a policy prohibiting discrimination and harassment.
“Detective Frank Mena was suspended for ten (10) days for violating several department policies prohibiting a hostile work environment. Det. Mena made several racially charged jokes and comments towards other officers,” the incident description says.
“The behavior and conduct towards other officers was inappropriate and unbecoming of a police officer.”
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office has mandated that all law enforcement agencies post their annual major discipline reports online by January 31st each year after the records became public for the first time in June 2020.
Many still just submit to the AG’s office through an online portal and the state’s annual database has also not been updated with each department’s 2024 major discipline report yet.
HCV previously reported on the 2024 major police discipline reports for the Weehawken, Hoboken, Guttenberg, Bayonne, Kearny, and Secaucus Police Departments.
The rope all ways break at the weakest spot , I’m not surprise one bit.
This department is beyond corrupt and should be fully investigated from the top down. Remember there’s always 2 sides to every story.
The length this dept. and all parties involved will go to in order to ruin someone’s career/life is beyond me!