Project Lifesaver Are you a caregiver for an adult or child who has a propensity to wander? The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office has partnered with Project Lifesaver in an effort to provide enhanced support and assistance to Sussex County residents who are primary caregivers for individuals with Alzheimer’s, dementia, autism, Down syndrome or related cognitive disorders. Project Lifesaver utilizes SafetyNet by LoJack, a tracking system which assists law enforcement in quickly locating individuals who have wandered. Implemented nationwide by more than one thousand agencies, the Project Lifesaver program has reduced search time from days down to an average of thirty minutes with no serious injuries or fatalities reported. How does Project Lifesaver work? Your loved one wears a battery-operated waterproof transmitter bracelet on his/her wrist or ankle. The transmitter emits a signal that sheriff’s officers can track in the event that someone goes missing. Trained sheriff’s officers will be sent to your residence monthly to change the battery and check that the transmitter is functioning properly. In addition, the caregiver will be required to check the transmitter’s battery at least once per day with a special tester that will be provided. Who is eligible? Adults and children who wander or may wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism, and other related conditions or disorders are all eligible for Project Lifesaver. The prospective client must be a resident of Sussex County, must have a 24-hour caregiver and must be willing to wear the transmitter at all times. What is the cost? The initial set up fee which includes all the necessary equipment is $275.00 and the monthly maintenance fee is $10.00. At this time, all fees are waived and the program is being provided to citizens at no charge. How do we enroll? Download and complete our enrollment package which consists of an instruction sheet, detailed application and contract. The latter two documents should be filled out by the caregiver and returned to the sheriff’s office. The sheriff’s office will then review the application and once approved, you will be contacted to schedule a date and time for a program administrator to meet with you and your family. At that meeting, the contract will be signed, the bracelet will be installed and the caregiver will receive instruction about the equipment and how to test it daily. Download our Project Lifesaver Enrollment Package In order to utilize this form, you will need the freely available Adobe Reader software installed on your computer, version 7 or higher. This is a “fillable form” which may be filled out on your computer and saved to your hard drive. Once you have completed it, you then have the ability to return it to us as an e-mail attachment or print it out and return it via postal mail. Questions? For more information, contact a program administrator at 973.579.0850, ext. 2507, by fax at 973.579.0870 or by e-mail .

Training exercises were successfully carried out at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. < Back Sussex County Jail personnel perform evacuation drills Training exercises were successfully carried out at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. Previous Next Three separate rapid evacuation exercises were conducted at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility during the month of June. Designed to simulate conditions that might occur during an actual emergency at the jail, the exercises enhanced the training of all bureau of corrections personnel and prepared them should an actual evacuation become necessary. A different training scenario—ranging from explosives threats to emergent fire and smoke conditions—was carried out during each shift. Inmates were evacuated from their respective housing units, relocated to a safe and secure holding area, secured with wrist restraints and subsequently prepared for possible transport to another housing unit or separate facility. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections maintains reciprocal agreements with a number of neighboring counties to house inmates in their facilities in the event of an emergency. During an actual emergency, Sussex County inmates may be transferred to correctional facilities in one or more of those counties. All three exercises, each of which lasted approximately 40 minutes, were successful and all inmates were safely evacuated in a timely fashion without any injuries or problems. The evacuations were a cooperative effort between the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement, the New Jersey State Police and the Newton Police Department.

About Administration Under the leadership of Sheriff Michael Strada, the sheriff’s office provides numerous services to the citizens and local police agencies of Sussex County. Professional Standards It is the policy of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office to accept and investigate all complaints of alleged officer misconduct or wrongdoing from any citizen or agency employee. Bureau of Corrections The Bureau of Corrections is responsible for the custody and care of incarcerated persons. Bureau of Law Enforcement The Bureau of Law Enforcement represents the enforcement arm of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Its personnel are tasked with carrying out the statutory responsibilities of the sheriff as mandated by the state constitution. Communications Center The Sussex County Sheriff’s Communications Center provides regular dispatch services for the sheriff’s office and serves as a PSAP for enhanced 911 calls. Emergency Management The Division of Emergency Management coordinates the efforts of police, fire, EMS, public works, public health and a myriad of volunteer organizations during emergencies. Fire Marshal The fire marshal supports and facilitates the safety of the general public through fire safety education, supporting fire safety legislation and fire prevention education programs to minimize the loss of property and life. Employment The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office hires employees based on the results of an open competitive law enforcement entry level examination given by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. Sheriff’s Office History The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office came into existence in 1753 and for well over 200 years now, has steadfastly remained committed to serving the residents of Sussex County. .

Arrested: Tonja Stupke, age 47, of Saylorsburg, PA. < Back PA woman arrested for DWI in Frankford Township Arrested: Tonja Stupke, age 47, of Saylorsburg, PA. Previous Next On Monday, March 12, 2012, while assigned to community policing in Frankford Township, Sheriff’s Sergeant John Gray observed a motor vehicle being operated by Tonja Stupke traveling in excess of the posted speed limit. Sergeant Gray stopped the vehicle and, after observing Stupke attempt to perform several field sobriety tests, determined her to be intoxicated. Stupke was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated. Additionally, she was issued summonses for reckless driving and speeding. She was given a date to appear in Frankford Township Municipal Court and released.

Employment/Recruitment The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office currently selects candidates in the following manners; The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is a New Jersey Civil Service Commission employer and as such, is governed by the rules prescribed by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. Job candidates are selected from eligibility lists that are supplied to us by the state. Qualified veterans are placed at the top of these eligibility lists, ahead of non-veterans, regardless of their scores. Intergovernmental Transfer eligible candidates can also be selected by applying to transfer, following established Civil Service Commission rules and applicable laws and regulations pursuant to NJSA 40A:14-180 and 4A:4-3.9 and 3.10 . Candidates who have not taken the Civil Service examination can still apply under the provisions of NJSA 11A:4-1.3 which authorizes the appointment of a probationary entry level law enforcement officer. The Sheriff, pursuant to the rules and regulations of NJSA 40A:9-117a , can appoint Sheriff’s Investigators, who shall have the same compensation, benefits, powers and status as is granted to Sheriff’s Officers. When these positions become available, eligible candidates are contacted, background investigations are conducted to include satisfactorily complying with the New Jersey Police Training Commission requirements, interviews take place and selections are made. Selected candidates are sent for a battery of pre-employment tests and evaluations to ascertain fitness for duty. Once a candidate successfully completes those phases, they are scheduled to begin the appropriate training. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Individuals wishing to obtain information about pursuing a career with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office can contact our office directly by submitting an inquiry at the bottom of this page. Current Job Postings Available Positions as of: October 30th 2025 Sheriff’s Investigator Sheriff’s Entry Level Law Enforcement Officer Some Civil Service Requirements Include : Benefits -Minimum 18 Years Old -Minimum Starting Salary $49,455 -HS Diploma or Equivalent -Paid Leave Time -United States Citizen -Medical/Prescription/Dental Eligibility -Valid New Jersey Driver’s License -PFRS/PERS Pension -Successfully Complete an Accredited Training Program -Deferred Compensation Plan Eligibility -Satisfactorily Comply with NJPTC Licensing Requirements -Others Outlined by Local PBA 138 Contract

Arrested: Kurt A. Takach, age 45, of Montague, NJ. < Back DWI arrest in Wantage Arrested: Kurt A. Takach, age 45, of Montague, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, September 11, 2013, while assigned to countywide community policing duties, Sheriff’s Officer Johnny Swords observed a 2001 red colored Chevrolet pickup truck, operated by Kurt Takach, failing to maintain his lane and driving in excess of the posted speed limit. Officer Swords pulled the vehicle over and approached to speak with the driver. Upon speaking with Mr. Takach and observing him attempt to perform several basic sobriety tests, Officer Swords determined him to be intoxicated. Takach was subsequently arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Takach was charged with the following offenses: reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, failure to exhibit documents, DWI and speeding. He was given a future court date to appear in Wantage Municipal Court and released to the care of a responsible person. Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling and Sergeant John Gray assisted in the arrest.

Two staff members from the Bureau of Law Enforcement were recently promoted. < Back Bureau of Law Enforcement promotes two officers Two staff members from the Bureau of Law Enforcement were recently promoted. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the following promotions within the Bureau of Law Enforcement. Detective Corporal Kieran McMorrow has been promoted to sergeant. A 1992 graduate of Kittatinny Regional High School, a United States Army veteran, and an 18-year veteran of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Sergeant McMorrow began his law enforcement career in 2000 when he was hired as a corrections officer by the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections. In December of 2000, he accepted a position as a sheriff’s officer in the Bureau of Law Enforcement. Throughout his career, Sergeant McMorrow has been assigned to several different units including the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transportation Unit, the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force, the sheriff’s Community Policing Unit, the Sussex County Hazardous Materials Team (HAZMAT) and the sheriff’s K-9 Unit. In addition to being a recipient of the sheriff’s Good Conduct Medal, the Educational Achievement Award, a two-time recipient of the sheriff’s Achievement Award, and the Sussex County Detective’s Association Meritorious Service Award, Sergeant McMorrow has received numerous accolades from other law enforcement agencies and civic groups. A graduate of the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute 86th Basic Police Class, Sergeant McMorrow also holds a baccalaureate degree in history from Fairleigh Dickinson University where he is currently pursuing a master’s degree in administrative science. He currently serves as both a K-9 handler and the public information officer of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Following this promotion, Sergeant McMorrow will be assigned to supervise sheriff’s officers serving in the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transportation Unit. Detective William Ficacci has been promoted to detective sergeant. A 1999 Wallkill Valley High School graduate, a lifelong Sussex County resident, a United States Marine Corps veteran who deployed to Iraq in 2003, Sergeant Ficacci began his law enforcement career in 2005 when he was hired as a corrections officer by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. In 2006, he accepted a position as a sheriff’s officer in the Bureau of Law Enforcement and was assigned to the Courthouse Security and Prisoner Transportation Unit. In 2013 he was promoted to detective and transferred to the sheriff’s Detective Bureau where he was assigned to fugitive recovery duties. Throughout his career, Sergeant Ficacci has also served as a team member of the sheriff’s Tactical Response Unit, supervised the sheriff’s internship program, and conducted numerous criminal investigations. A graduate of the Bergen County Law & Public Safety Institute 97th Basic Police Class, Sergeant Ficacci is also a recipient of multiple military awards and the sheriff’s Achievement Award. Following this promotion, Detective Sergeant Ficacci will be assigned to supervise detectives serving in the sheriff’s Detective Bureau. Sheriff Strada thanks both of the above members for their service and congratulates them on their new positions. Pictured from left to right: Sergeant Kieran McMorrow, Sheriff Michael F. Strada and Detective Sergeant William Ficacci.

< Back Sussex County Sheriff’s Office K9 Nutmeg and Detective Young attend the National Police Bloodhound Association Seminar and receive certification Previous Next Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce that during the last week of April 2021, K9 Nutmeg and her handler Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Detective Cathy Young attended the National Police Bloodhound Association's Spring Seminar in McHenry, Maryland. This 40 hour block of instruction included one day of classroom refresher courses for the handler and 4 days of paws-on-the-pavement trailing work for the K9s. With the help and oversight of the expert NPBA instructors, K9 teams were tested on a variety of different surfaces, terrains, and aged trails. K9 Nutmeg approached her training with her best paw forward, making easy work of a 24+ hour-old trail and even running the entirety of an over 1-mile long trail. With her hard work and endless drive, K9 Nutmeg made it smooth sailing to achieving her 2nd national man-trailing certification. Sheriff Strada said, “K9 Nutmeg and Detective Young continue to be an asset to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. I couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and continued success, both with their training and their work in the field here in Sussex County.”

OPRA New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA) provides procedures for the public (the “requestor”) to review or copy government records. The following is a summary of these procedures and guidelines for requesting records. OPRA applies to requests for records, not requests for isolated facts therefore, a requestor must determine which records he or she wishes to see or copy. The requestor must then file a records request with the Custodian of Records. This is accomplished by completing a form available at the sheriff’s office. For your convenience, we have also made the form available below. Fees (payable by cash, check or money order): Letter size pages: $0.05 per page Legal size pages: $0.07 per page Other materials (CD, DVD, etc.): actual cost You may be required to provide a deposit against costs for reproducing documents when a request for copies exceeds $25.00. The custodian will contact you and advise you of any deposit requirements. Some government records are not available for public inspection or copying. A list of the two dozen specific types of records that are exempt from disclosure may be viewed at the state’s OPRA web site . Under OPRA, a custodian must deny access to a person who has been convicted of an indictable offense in the United States, and who is seeking government records containing personal information pertaining to the person’s victim or the victim’s family. You may be denied access to a government record if your request would substantially disrupt operations and the custodian is unable to reach a reasonable solution with you. If the sheriff’s office is unable to comply with your request for access to a government record, the custodian will indicate the reasons for denial on the request form or other written correspondence and send you a signed and dated copy. Download the Open Public Records Act Request form To view and complete the form, you will need the freely available Adobe Reader software installed on your computer, version 7 or higher. This fillable form may be filled out on your computer and saved to your hard drive and/or printed out. The completed form must be returned to: Undersheriff Matthew Avenatti, Custodian of Records Sussex County Sheriff’s Office 39 High Street Newton, NJ 07860 FAX: 973.579.7884 E-Mail: OPRA@sussexcountysheriff.com

Do you have information relating to a crime or criminal activity in the Sussex County, New Jersey area? Get a cash reward of up to $1,000 for your anonymous tip. Call our hotline or submit a tip online using the form below. Call 973.300.CRIME Crime Stoppers will pay up to a $1,000.00 reward for information leading to the arrest and indictment (as opposed to conviction) of criminals. When a person contacts Crime Stoppers, he/she is assigned a confidential code number which is then used for identification going forward. At no time will anyone ask the tipster’s name. The tipster will use the code number in all subsequent contacts with Crime Stoppers. When he/she becomes eligible for a reward, the arrangements to receive it are also made through the use of the code number. The reward will be paid in cash. After submitting your tip, please write down you’re your code number and call 973-300-CRIME to see if your tip leads to a reward. Crime Stoppers Online Anonymous Tip Form Suspect First Name Suspect Last Name Suspect Nickname Sex Age Birthday Race Height Weight Hair Color Eye Color Next

Wantage and Sussex Borough enter into an agreement with the Sussex County Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Communications Services. < Back Two more towns sign on for dispatching services Wantage and Sussex Borough enter into an agreement with the Sussex County Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Communications Services. Previous Next Sheriff Michael Strada is pleased to announce that Wantage Township and Sussex Borough have entered into a five-year shared service agreement for dispatching services at the Sussex County Sheriff’s 9-1-1 Communications Center. After several months of technical and logistical planning and preparation, both municipalities seamlessly transitioned to the county center. Wantage and Sussex join the eleven other municipalities currently utilizing the call taking and dispatching services of the largest 9-1-1 communications center in the county. Representatives from the state Office of Emergency Telecommunications, several telecommunications providers and municipal and county officials were present during the cutover to insure a successful implementation. The county 9-1-1 center service area encompasses 65% of the county’s geographical area. The communications center will be responsible for handling all 9-1-1 calls for their municipalities. Sheriff Strada stated, “I am glad to see other municipalities join our communications center as we offer the latest technology and dispatching services. The emergency service organizations that are currently utilizing our center realize the benefits of a central communications center.” Pictured left to right: Chief Telecommunicator Dave Korver, Director of Communications Mark Rozek, Borough of Sussex OEM Coordinator Floyd Southard, Township of Wantage Mayor Ron Bassani, Township of Wantage Administrator Michael Restel, Township of Wantage OEM/911 Coordinator Joe Konopinski, New Jersey Office of Emergency Telecommunications Services Doug Weidanz and Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada

Directions/Map Sussex County Judicial Center 43-47 High Street Newton, NJ 07860 From Northern NJ Take Route 80 West to Exit 25 (Route 206 North). Stay on Route 206 North for approximately 11 miles, to Newton. Route 206 North turns into Main Street as you approach downtown Newton. Take Main Street to the end. Turn left at the traffic light onto Spring Street (the square is on the left). From Spring Street, turn left onto High Street. You will see the Sussex County Judicial Center on your right. From Trenton and Southern NJ Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 127 (Route 287 North). From Route 287 North, take Exit 22B (Route 206 North). Proceed with step 2 from the Northern NJ directions above. From Southwest NJ Take the New Jersey Turnpike North to Exit 10 (Route 287 North). From Route 287 North, take Exit 22B (Route 206 North). Proceed with step 2 from the Northern NJ directions above. Parking for the Sussex County Judicial Center Free parking is available at the county indoor parking deck which is adjacent to the courthouse.