Community Corner

Crime Victim Dissatisfied with Police Performance

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I am the victim of a robbery at my home in Parsippany. 

My issue is with the police and the mayor: I have tried many times to explain issues with the way my investigation was handled to no avail. 

I have called the mayor's office several times with no response.  I have written letters to the mayor, the chief of police, my congressman, the state's attorney general, my state senator and the Parsippany Town Council - again no response.

I filed a police internal investigation only to have the "wall of blue" close ranks and find in the department's favor. This did not surprise me, because I totally expected that they would not do the right thing.

The criminals were located within hours of the crime and handed to the police on a silver platter. One of them even confessed and fingered the other criminal at whose home he was found. Some of my property was found at the scene of the crime. The suspect was a repeat offender—having done jail time for robbing houses. Yet there was no search warrant requested. It seems the officers were interested in beginning their long weekend instead of investigating our crime and retrieving our property.

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I want answers to my questions. 

When was a search warrant requested and who denied the request for the search warrant?  I am told I am entitled to this information, yet no one will respond to my repeated inquiries.

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The brief response to the Internal Affairs investigation indicates negligence on behalf of the police: "The investigation and a view of all information concerning the allegation of neglect of duty indicates that the act or acts complained of did occur but were justified, lawful, and proper."

How can acts of neglect be justified?  

They refused to speak to my husband and told me that nothing he said would sway their opinion in the matter. How can they investigate a case without speaking to all concerned parties?

Police lied to us repeatedly.  The day after the burglary, a Friday, we called to see if officers had gone back to the house to search it.  We were told that no police work is done on Friday in the summer and no detectives were available. They told us to call back on Monday.  We also called on Saturday and were told the same thing: Call back on Monday. 

Apparently, the police think I should be happy that they finally searched the building where our stolen items were—more than two weeks later. Some of our things were found, but only easily replaceable, broken video equipment. The most valuable items were gone.

Subsequently, the police told me that the items probably were  there on the day of the robbery, but after the weekend, they said valuable items handed down in my family through the generations were "probably melted."  

How would any of you feel to know that you gifted a criminal five generations' worth of family heirlooms?  I doubt you would be so complacent! If I had known that nobody was going to search for my things, I would have gone there myself and gotten them back!

I was told that the police questioned my neighbors. That is a lie. I knocked on everyone's door that Saturday and people in the area said no one asked them anything. It is clear that the police did not question anyone, not my neighbors, not nearby community enterprises that were open.

Let's face facts. Parsippany has the worst police protection of any city I have ever heard of. I still can't believe that law-abiding citizens like us are treated to such shabby behavior; don't even ask me how rude the police detective was to us!

What's worse is that the police are congratulating themselves for a subsequent drug bust; shame on them all.

I get that drug busts make headlines and helping decent citizens retrieve their property does not.

I am begging someone to recognize that the proper process was not followed here. I have been taught that if people make mistakes, they should admit it and own up to it. What's happened to me will continue to happen in Parsippany unless the police and town administration do the right thing.  

Linda Janssen
Parsippany

A copy of this Letter to the Editor has been sent to Parsippany Police Chief Anthony DeZenzo and to Mayor James Barberio for comment. We await their response.


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