Clifton Police Hiring Practices

The CPD needs to bring back residency requirements for the hiring of officers. That would cut back on the robbers and pedophiles that are creeping their way through from surrounding towns onto our police force. Those same towns that we are getting crime problems from are where the department is hiring. makes no sense. Furthermore it is unfair to Clifton residents who wish to become police officers to have to compete with three counties worth of veterans and competition, where other surrounding towns hire only within. Clifton residents get shafted because we have only one option and in that option we have to compete with more than three times the competition for that job. Bring Back Residncy requirements.

clifton wont do that cause they are afraid of being racist,since they were blakmailed by the naacp,...... clifton is now a shit hole town just like passaic and paterson. its such a shame!

Actually is it very fair to someone who lives in a town that is not a civil service town. If every town hired just with in do you realize how much harder it would be to get hired in this state than it already is!

The police have a good union and the residency law may only apply for 1 or 2 years and then they can live where ever they want to. I don't think you can make residency a requirement anymore. But I do agree that if the cops live in the city they serve, you get a better breed of cops. You have a cop for a full 24 hours a day if he lives there. In my observation after living in Garfield, most of the cops see how much crime is there and beat feet to get out and live in a more affluent city where corrupt politicans haven't ruined it yet. And why not? Have you seen the salaries these guys make?
The taxpayer always pays in the end. Don't forget to support your local police department when the PBA is looking for donations. After all they made non-residency laws possible.

Even if there is a residency law it can be worked around and I know that for a fact. There was someone in Garfield whom at one time was trying to get onto the Garfield Police Dept. For the heck of it lets make up a name like Anthony. And this person lied on the applicatin saying that he was renting from his X land-lords son who lives in the same town during the week.(Could it be the same house?) So there are always ways and always people who will lie to help you out.

I agree, Garfield has lots of illegal apartments. It's been very profitable for the landlords who seem to rent to just about anyone, including illegal aliens, street gang members, drug dealers and maybe even terrorists. A senior citizen by the name of Angelina Costa was murdered this past August by some creep here on a 90 day work visa living with a few other people in a supposed illegal apartment. The woman was beaten to death and found in a pool of blood by her son. The blood is on the hands of the politicans, but it won't stop any time soon. The landlord is supposed to go to the municipal court for his hearing, but they're still looking for an inturperter last I read in the newspaper. Yeah lying and covering up is good business in Garfield. If you like corruption, it's a great town. Have you read the news about the black cop from Garfield who was arrested last year for sexually assaulting a minor?
The Garfield Police Dept. kept it quiet until someone leaked it to the newspapers. As you said at the end of your post. "There are always ways and always people who will lie to help you out."
That's how cities get destroyed. Look no further than Garfield, Paterson, Passaic and so on. One time very respected towms with pride and good people. Just takes a few scumbags to start the shit slide to hell.

I totally agree that at one time Garfield was a very respectable town. Not anymore especially since it's become an abott community. We are tied with Pssaic and Paterson at this time. I heard there is this real estate agent that advertises in the New York papers saying something to the effect of Come to Garfield it's like country.(To people from NY city it is like country) If you move to Garfield there is free preschool. A lot of people are doing it for a free baby sitting service. I know someone who is a teachers aide in Paterson and she told me that there are a few (not one or two) children from school that are moving to Garfield basically because it's a bit nicer, the rents are reasonable (compare to other towns around us), and now they can get the free pre school and lunch like they do in Paterson.
I believe it happened this year with that cop from Garfield although I could be wrong. The police have been keeping a lot quiet for many years. Remember way back 30 years when Eddie Sabath was killed in the police car accident. A by-stander was told to throw out a stolen bottle of liquor from the police car. And I'm sure other things happened well before that but I was to young to know. I'll be signing off for now - very tired - was to the T.R. festival this week. I went there last week and was a week to early so returned today. Oh well that's life.

I do remember that moved. The story was that two cops broke into a liquor store and were drinking while driving the police car. There are many corrupt cop stories from Garfield. They don't like to fix the problems either, so what you get are a few bad apples who compromise the safety of the people they are suppose to protect. I laugh when I see the DARE car they have all tricked out. Nice PC Cruiser that the cops drive to the schools and give the kids talks about the dangers of drugs. As the city has drug dealing gangs operating right under the cops noses. The cops look the other way, put in their shift and go home (not Garfield) to much nicer town that don't have the corruption Garfield has. Can you blame them?
They make enough money at the taxpayers expense.
The schools get overcrowded because the Abbott Burke money gets pumped in by the state and nothing imporoves. Plenty of illegal apartments in good supply, so the town swells with more people, some you wouldn't want for neighbors while absentee landlords collect the tax free cash.
And what does the honest homeowner get in return?
Decreased property value, corrupt politicians, higher property taxes, poor schools for thier kids to attend, high crime, drugs, graffitti, gang activity, less parking spaces, illegal aliens and property damage.
Nice place to live if you like that shit.

Decreased property value is right on target. When I ride through that town (every now & then) its realy hard for me to comprehend how I used to live there. I see graffitti, so cald 'gangs' walking in groups down the street, not enough parking spaces and yes you can see property damage on the street.

Hey Garfield, I'm with you on your observation. It has changed but not for the better. If you can get out of there, please do it. Your elected officials would like you to think that everything is great.
The old Garfield Pride is a thing of the past. As you have seen the changes in the youth. They are victims of their environment. Lack of police presense and failure to enforce the law makes for a hell that every resident of that town must live in.
I don't know much about the man who did jail time for using a police car that you mentioned. I would appreciate it if you could tell me. Sounds very interesting. You're right though, some things do run in cycles and many things are easy to forsee. Those who can't remember the past, are condemned to repeat it. I wish you the best Garfield.

Oh well Wolf52 it sounds like you are well aware about all of Garfield. We're here due to a kind of shakey job situation right now. Once we are on a little more steady ground things will be changing. About the police car accident there was a robbery that night. It was the police office that was driving the car who was found guilty of it. As he was driving away from the liquor store that he robbed he was driving so fast that he must of lost control and drove into some person's house. When the other cops arrived they found a broken liquor bottle or two in the car and told a stranger who was at the scene to throw the acohol bottles into a neighbors garbage can. Guess it must of been garbage day. Got the detailes from Moved. Moved also said it happened while he was waiting trial because he was being accused of beating someone while handcuffed. I don't remember that one but Moved remembers the details. Forgot what Moved said came out of it. Half the high schoolers look like they are high on their way to school. If not on the way to school by sure on the way home.

I know of a guy who called the cops to report drug dealing in his neighborhood. The next day, his drug dealing neighbor made verbal threats against him and his family. One on one of course, with no witnesses.
He told him that a cop friend of his told him they got his information at the police station.
The guy who told me this wouldn't lie about something this serious. I've heard similar stories in the past and it's pretty scary living in a town where the police and criminals have a vested interest. Think about it when you see that DARE car riding around town. It's a sick joke and hopefully the state will investigate how the police department is run.

Wow I like your statements. I would of moved too. I'm glad it's not me sending the funny little elf. Is this releated to the person who slaps the kids in the face the holidays.

The next one will be the 3rd which was my dad's number.

I've just remembered something else. My dog Munchkins passed away in January 2007. Feb. 3RD I got a call from a Dr. at the animal hospital saying this 10 lb. cockerpoo's owner died. I said no because I was very happy with only my cat for now & needed time to do things without rushing home at least until after the summer. Someone else adopted her on Feb. 5th but returned her in a week because her other dog became upset. The Dr. called me again as did the officer mgr.(the same day) on Feb. 13TH. Altogether that made 3 different times I received a call over this dog. I went there to see this little one on my lunch hour and after work guess what I finally took her home. It was the 13TH day & the 3RD week of Feb. This dog was born on Nov. 13, 1993 which made her exactly 3 YRS & 3 MOS. old. She happens to be the smartest, easiest, most contented, and lovable adult dog I've ever adopted. It's amazing how the numbers 3 and 13 are always there. PS... the number I have to sign in on is 1713

I am a police officer in town. I lived in Clifton when I was hired however, moved out soon after. I feel the city should hire the best all around person. If you have a squared away person who lives down the shore and happens to score the highest, that person should be given the option to moving to the county. The way it is now, only Passaic and Essex County can be hired. Open it to everybody and we will get the best.

My opinion is that if you get a a good police officer and he lives in the city he serves in, you have a cop for 24 hours a day. If he is off duty, he can still function in his capacity to stop crime if he sees it or assist someone who needs help.
The training he or she must undergo is valuable to the community they serve. I know it's not mandatory but it would give the taxpayers more value for their dollars spent for police protection and the officers would have a vested interest in their own town much more than the one they work out of if it's not their place of residence.

No way, I work here and lived in town when I got hired. I see the guys I got hired with and notice, the two Clifton guys have no idea waht goes on elsewhere. They both grew up on the east side of town and god forbid there sent to the west on a job, they can't find there way around. After 5 years they have become better however, ther are many younger guys from different areas that are more squared away. Hey thats Civil Service, I say open it to the state, and make it so you have to live in town upon appointment for a few years. Try to get the best quys the state has to offer.

Oh, forgot this one. Most small towns in the area are Chiefs tests, if any. In Garfield, I know a guy who's father was chief. He got hired taking no test and was promoted to detective within a year. Thats being fair!!! Oh yea, he went from base pay (starting pay) to max pay in that move. Shame on Garfield, good for morale.

Upset, I'm with you. I lived in that rat hole over 40 years. I've seen some real incompetence get promotions while educated professionals were passed over. What were the qualifications of the ones who got better positions? They were politically connected to some hack on the city council. Happens more times than I can count. Garbage in = Garbage out = Garfield. Morale? It's cut throat and the taxpayers get screwed as always. And we all know what a taxpayer is. TAXPAYER - "A person who feeds the hand that bites him."