< Back SCSO K9 TEAM GRADUATES NJSP ACADEMY Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the graduation of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office’s newest K-9 Team from the New Jersey State Police Canine Academy 38th Narcotics Scent Class. Sheriff’s Detective Michael Scott and K-9 “Ace” recently successfully completed an intensive 14-week training course in narcotics detection. Detective Scott is a 7 year veteran of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office and K-9 Ace is a 1 year old German Shepherd Dog. During their training, over approximately 450 hours, the K-9 team executed over 300 narcotics searches in various conditions and at numerous locations. Detective Scott and K-9 Ace are scheduled to begin the New Jersey State Police Canine Academy Patrol Class for tracking in September. The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit currently consists of three K-9 teams. Two narcotics detection teams and one tracking/trailing team. Sheriff Strada congratulates Detective Scott and Ace and wishes them great success in their careers. Said Sheriff Strada, “We are pleased to present the services of this great team and our other K-9 teams to the law enforcement agencies and citizens of Sussex County. I know they will prove to be a tremendous asset.”

Officers and nurses act quickly to help inmate in cardiac distress. < Back Corrections personnel honored for saving inmate’s life Officers and nurses act quickly to help inmate in cardiac distress. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada recently recognized and awarded several members of the Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections with honors for their respective roles in saving the life of an inmate during a medical emergency. On the evening of May 8, 2015, corrections officers Brandon Fazio and Jeffrey Hilbert observed a prisoner who had collapsed and was unresponsive. They immediately contacted medical staff and ordered all inmates back to their cells. Sergeants Paul Reiher and Eric Groeger responded to their location along with nurses Jean Thompson and Cathy Toth. After determining the patient was in cardiac distress, Thompson and Toth began CPR. Corrections Officer Fazio and Sergeant Reiher began to prepare an Automated External Defibrillation device (AED) for use and, in conjunction with the medical staff performing CPR, delivered several rounds of defibrillation to the patient. The patient was ultimately airlifted to Morristown Memorial Hospital where he was placed on life support. For their actions in preserving the inmate’s life, Corrections Officer Brandon Fazio, Sergeant Paul Reiher, licensed practical nurse Jean Thompson and registered nurse Cathy Toth were presented with the Sheriff’s Life Saving Award while Sergeant Eric Groeger, Corrections Officer Jeffrey Hilbert and Corrections Officer Michael Scuzzese were presented with the Honorable Service Award. Sheriff Strada thanks each of the above named personnel for their diligence, initiative and rapid action while in the line of duty. Their successful efforts to save a person’s life reflect great credit upon themselves and the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections as a whole. From left to right: Corrections Officer Brandon Fazio, Sergeant Paul Reiher, Sheriff Michael F. Strada, LPN Jean Thompson and RN Cathy Toth.

Arrested: David M. Ireland, age 32, of Augusta, NJ. < Back Driver using cell phone leads to DWI arrest Arrested: David M. Ireland, age 32, of Augusta, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, September 5, 2013, while assigned to patrol duties within the borough of Branchville, Sheriff’s Officer John Swords observed David Ireland talking on a cell phone while driving through Branchville. Officer Swords initiated a motor vehicle stop and interviewed Mr. Ireland. Upon further investigation, Officer Swords determined Ireland was intoxicated. Officer Swords arrested Ireland and transported him to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Ireland was charged with the following offenses: driving while intoxicated, reckless driving, operating a motor vehicle while using a portable electronic device and possession of an open container/alcoholic beverage in a motor vehicle. He was given a future court date to appear in Branchville Borough Municipal Court and released to the care of a responsible party. Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling and Sergeant John Gray assisted in the arrest.

Arrested: Owen R. Cox, age 24, of Andover Boro, NJ. < Back Whoops...burglary suspect leaves driver's license behind Arrested: Owen R. Cox, age 24, of Andover Boro, NJ. Previous Next The sheriff’s office assisted the Andover Township Police Department with the arrest of Owen R. Cox who was initially arrested by police during the early morning hours of Saturday, October 1, 2011 and charged with burglary and assault. Cox had originally fled the scene of that crime before being apprehended at another location within Andover Township. On October 6, 2011, Sheriff’s Officer Warren Slahor and K-9 Eggo assisted Andover Township police who had requested a K-9 team to conduct an area search for evidence that may have been discarded by Cox while fleeing from police. The officer and his K-9 searched a swampy wooded area that Cox was believed to have travelled through after fleeing the scene and discovered a pair of discarded sweat pants. Inside the pants pocket, sheriff’s officers located a New Jersey driver’s license issued to Cox. Cox has been charged with burglary, simple assault and second degree robbery with bodily injury. He is currently lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $75,000 bail with no 10% option.

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 .

Arrested: Cheryl E. Semiz, age 19, of Hopatcong, NJ. < Back Hopatcong woman arrested for faking urine test Arrested: Cheryl E. Semiz, age 19, of Hopatcong, NJ. Previous Next On Monday, May 21, 2012, Sheriff’s Officer Matt Maines was advised by probation officers that a female probationer had attempted to fake a urine test after reporting for probation. Sheriff’s Officer Maines located Ms. Cheryl Semiz in the Sussex County Probation Department and, after a brief investigation, arrested her and transported her to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Semiz was charged with defrauding the administration of a court ordered drug test. She was issued a summons to appear at a future date in Newton Municipal Court and released.

L.E.A.D. Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D.) is a community-based program which was founded in 2014 in New Jersey. In Sussex County, the sheriff’s office offers the L.E.A.D. program to area youth through the local schools. The aim of L.E.A.D. is to educate the county’s youth about substance abuse. Its curriculum covers alcohol and drug resistance, violence prevention and anti-bullying. It goes beyond traditional programs, however, as the critical thinking, decisionmaking and interpersonal skills it instills can be used in everyday life. Lessons cover issues such as consequences, pressures, ways to say no, effects of the media, stress, alternatives, conflict resolution and improving self-esteem. These lessons, designed around a problem-solving model, offer a variety of interactive, role-playing and cooperative learning activities, all of which serve to empower kids to recognize and resist the subtle and overt pressures that cause them to experiment with drugs or become involved in violent activities. The sheriff’s office provides L.E.A.D. instruction to the following Sussex County schools: Frankford Township School Fredon Township School Lafayette Township School Marian E. McKeown School Montague Township School Ogdensburg School Sandyston-Walpack Consolidated School Stillwater Township School Sussex Middle School Wantage Elementary School Are you an educator within Sussex County interested in bringing the L.E.A.D. program to your students? For more information, please contact the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office at 973.579.0850.

Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada announces the implementation of the Blue Envelope Program with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office < Back Blue Envelope Program with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada announces the implementation of the Blue Envelope Program with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Previous Next Sheriff Michael F Strada announced that the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office will be implementing the “Blue Envelope Program”. This program is designed to assist officers with recognizing and assisting people who are on the Autism Spectrum or may have other sensory issues while making traffic stops. The blue envelope is resealable and a convenient place to keep all driver documents. It contains instructions for both the driver and the interacting officer in the event of a traffic stop. Sheriff Strada understands that a simple motor vehicle stop can be traumatizing for those individuals who are on the spectrum or have sensory issues. This Blue Envelope Program will make the interaction easier for both the individual and the officer. Residents of Sussex County can pick up these envelopes by contacting the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office at 39 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860 or call Sergeant John Freykar at 973-579-0850.

Correctional Facility Overview The Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility opened in 1978. Inmate Visitation/Information Learn what is required in order to visit someone incarcerated. Also includes information about inmate mail, personal property, accounts and phone calls. Home Detention Program The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office offers an alternative to incarceration for certain offenders sentenced to a term of imprisonment. SLAP Sussex County’s SLAP program provides a structured alternative to incarceration for minor offenders. Directions/Map View a map and directions to the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility, located directly behind the Sussex County Judicial Center, adjacent to the parking garage.

Fire Marshal Fire Marshal: Mark Snook Fire Coordinator: Jonathan Frato Sussex County’s fire marshal is under the aegis of the sheriff’s office. Duties and responsibilities include the following: Enforce New Jersey’s Uniform Fire Code in county-owned buildings and assist local fire officials with enforcement of same. Coordinate activities once a fire-related incident has grown beyond a local fire department’s span of control. Coordinate the investigation of every fire incident occurring within Sussex County. Allocate available fire service resources for out-of-county deployment when requested by the New Jersey Division of Fire Safety in accordance with the Fire Service Resource Emergency Deployment Act. Oversee the efforts of the Sussex County Fire Prevention Association in educating the community about fire safety. Administer the Juvenile Fire Watch Program within Sussex County. Serve as liaison between the Sussex County Firemen’s Association, the Sussex County Fire Chief’s Association and county administrators for all fire safety and fire service matters. Have questions? For more information, please call 973.579.0380. Online Portal : https://sussexcshfsdeptnj.tylerportico.com/payments/billsearch/ The above link will direct you to a new page for the following: New Business Registrations Smoke Detector Compliance Inspections (Branchville Boro, Fredon Twp., Green Twp. And Newton) Application for Fire Permits (Andover Boro, Andover Twp., Branchville Boro, Franklin Boro, Fredon Twp., Green Twp., Newton, Stanhope Boro, Stillwater Twp. And The Sussex County Technical School) Online Invoice Payment Fire Department Resources »

This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run < Back SCSO Participates in Special Olympics Torch Run This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run Previous Next Early this morning, members of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, as well as members of the greater Sussex County Law Enforcement community, joined the more than 3,000 officers that are taking to the streets of their local communities as “Guardians of the Flame” on one of 26 separate routes to help carry the "Flame of Hope” a distance of nearly 750 miles throughout the Garden State to raise funds and awareness for Special Olympics New Jersey. Although our members participate each year, this year is particularly special as it marks the 40th Anniversary of the New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run. In 1982, the late Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Officer Steven Vitale was asked to take photos at a local Special Olympics competition in New Jersey. He was so moved by the determination exhibited by the athletes that he asked other police officers to volunteer at the Summer Games. In 1984, the first New Jersey Torch Run was conceived to raise funds and public awareness for the Special Olympics New Jersey program. The course ran from Liberty State Park in Jersey City to Rutgers Stadium in New Brunswick, through eight towns, covering 43 miles and raising $7,000. In each succeeding year, the dollar amount became greater and the number of volunteers increased substantially. Driven by the willingness of the New Jersey Law Enforcement officers to do more, the Law Enforcement Torch Run began to expand over the years. New fundraising events and initiatives were created and held throughout the Garden State to promote the Special Olympics movement. With over $4 million raised annually by more than 3,000 officers through local and statewide events, the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics New Jersey has been recognized in the world for many years as one of the top grassroots fundraising organizations for Special Olympics. Fundraising events that are conducted year-round in New Jersey include an Adopt-a-Cop campaign for the annual Torch Run, three Polar Bear Plunges, the Lincoln Tunnel Challenge 5K, the United Airlines Plane Pull and golf outings to name a few. In addition to fundraising, Law Enforcement officers volunteer at athlete competitions and events year-round, while serving as ambassadors in local communities. This year’s Annual Torch Run will precede the Special Olympics New Jersey Summer Games taking place at the College of NJ campus in Ewing, NJ from June 9-11. For more information or to make a donation in support of Special Olympics New Jersey please visit their website at https://www.njtorchrun.org/ Sheriff Strada is immensely proud of all the participating officers and congratulates them on their involvement in this very worthy cause.

Arrested: Katie D. Herburger and Jessica M. Lemasson, both age 19, both of Newton, NJ. < Back Newton teenagers arrested for DWI Arrested: Katie D. Herburger and Jessica M. Lemasson, both age 19, both of Newton, NJ. Previous Next At approximately 7:15 a.m. on the morning of Monday, February 4, 2013, while traveling in Hampton Township, Sheriff’s Detective William Lunger observed a motor vehicle operated by Katie Herburger fail to maintain her lane of traffic and fail to stop at a traffic light. Detective Lunger initiated a motor vehicle stop on the car and walked up to speak with the driver. While Detective Lunger was speaking with Herburger, Captain George Kately arrived on scene to assist. After speaking with Herburger and observing her attempt to perform several field sobriety tests, Captain Kately found her to be intoxicated. Further investigation revealed Lemasson to be intoxicated as well. Both were taken into custody and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where they were processed and released to the care of a responsible party. Katie Herburger was issued summonses for underage consumption of alcohol, driving while intoxicated, failure to keep right and failure to observe a traffic signal. Jessica Lemasson was issued summonses for underage consumption of alcohol and allowing an intoxicated driver to operate a motor vehicle. Both were released pending future court appearances in Hampton Township Joint Municipal Court. Sheriff’s Sergeant John Gray assisted in the arrest.