As Rutherford Police Chief John R. Russo concludes his one-year term as the 109th president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP), it comes with a sense of gratification.
Over the year, Russo oversaw a steady stream of initiatives as the association marked the passage of smart state legislation, while continually advocating for proposals that advance the law enforcement profession and make New Jerseyans safer.
“From a legislative and advocacy standpoint, this was one of the busiest years in the recent history of our association,” Russo, 50, a Rutherford native who lives in neighboring Hasbrouck Heights, said. “There was a steady stream of legislative proposals from Trenton that directly affected law enforcement, prompting us to be continually vigilant and ensuring the voice of the state’s police chiefs was paramount in all key discussions.”
As president, Russo leveraged the extensive assets of the NJSACOP, from its various committees to its professional legislative and communication consultants, to ensure state legislators understood the association’s positions on major bills.
“Getting all of those elements of the NJSACOP to work as a more cohesive group has really given the police chiefs a seat at the table, ensuring we are heard,” he said.
The NJSACOP president, whose term concludes June 30, highlighted specific accomplishments and initiatives over the past year:
- NJSACOP led the charge toward the adoption of a bipartisan bill (S3006/A4299) signed into law on Oct. 16, 2024, significantly increasing penalties for home invasion and residential burglary offenses in New Jersey. There are now much harsher penalties than under previous law, which did not distinguish between residential and non-residential burglaries and generally classified them as third-degree crimes unless a weapon or violence was involved. The law stemmed from an uptick in car thefts, when criminals were breaking into homes to steal key fobs.
- With the vocal support of the NJSACOP, Gov. Philip D. Murphy signed an organized retail crime theft bill (A4755/S3587) on April 1. The new law establishes and upgrades crimes related toretail theft, provides that repeat offenders can be sentenced to extended prison terms, addresses gift card fraud, and requires the Attorney General to take actions to combat organized retail theft. NJSACOP hosted a podcast to highlight the issue and urge the state Legislature to act, as well as published an opinion-editorial to educate and inform the public.
- NJSACOP is supporting a bill now in legislative committee (S. 3910) that would require certain juvenile suspects to appear before the court in the county where the crime allegedly occurred, rather than in the county where the juvenile lives.
“If there is a juvenile from, say, a large northern New Jersey city who travels down to the shore and commits a crime, that is where the case should be heard,” Russo said. “The people impacted by that crime live at the shore, not where the juvenile lives. Often, in our larger cities, where there is a heavy caseload, these types of juvenile cases may not get the same attention as they would from a small shore town where the victim resides. So, we believe, that is the appropriate place to hear the case and determine the punishment.”
As Russo prepares to pass the gavel, he expressed his appreciation to Rutherford Mayor Frank Nunziato and the Borough Council for their support, as well as the 42 other sworn officers of his police department in southern Bergen County.
“The opportunity to work hard every day to enhance policing in New Jersey while balancing my responsibilities with the Rutherford Police Department has not been easy, yet it has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience I would do again in a heartbeat,” Russo said. “I cannot express my gratitude to the NJSACOP board of officers and our membership for this opportunity and their trust.”
He hopes the NJSACOP, under the leadership of the incoming president — Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano — can further expand the relationships with associations representing New Jersey’s sheriffs and prosecutors, as well as the Attorney General and the State Police.
“Working together, it is all about making law enforcement more efficient and effective for the people of New Jersey,” Russo said.
Learn more at NJSACOP.org
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Kevin A. Canessa Jr. is the editor of and broadcaster at The Observer, an organization he has served since 2006. He is responsible for the editorial content of the newspaper and website, the production of the e-Newspaper, writing several stories per week (including the weekly editorial), conducting live broadcasts on social media channels such as YouTube, Facebook, and X, including a weekly recap of the news — and much more behind the scenes. Between 2006 and 2008, he introduced the newspaper to its first-ever blog — which included podcasts, audio and video. Originally from Jersey City, Kevin lived in Kearny until 2004, lived in Port St. Lucie. Florida, for four years until February 2016 and in March of that year, he moved back to Kearny to return to The Observer full time. Click Here to send Kevin an email.