Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada and Sussex County Communications Director Mark Rozek announce the promotion of Shannon Quinn and Brian Cannon to the position of Supervising Public Safety Telecommunicator < Back Promotions to Supervising Public Safety Telecommunicators Sussex County Sheriff Michael F. Strada and Sussex County Communications Director Mark Rozek announce the promotion of Shannon Quinn and Brian Cannon to the position of Supervising Public Safety Telecommunicator Previous Next A brief ceremony was held on July 26th that was attended by close family and co-workers. Shannon Quinn has been a PST with the Sussex County Communications Center since February 3, 2016. She was promoted to Senior PST on June 15, 2020. She is an APCO Certified Training Officer (CTO), APCO certified Communications Center Supervisor (CCS) and recently completed Spillman Application Administrator (SAA) training. Shannon has an Associate’s Degree from Sussex County Community College and has also completed a Crisis Management course and several ICS courses. Shannon has received 8 CPR Lifesaving awards since 2018. Brian Cannon has been a PST with the Sussex County Communications Center since July 16, 2015. He was promoted to Senior PST on June 15, 2020. He is an APCO Certified Training Officer (CTO), APCO certified Communications Center Supervisor (CCS) and an experienced Spillman Application Administrator (SAA) and is knowledgeable in the county’s GIS system. Brian has a Bachelor’s of Art in Emergency and Disaster Management from the American Military University and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Administration. He is also a CPR Instructor and has completed several ICS courses. Brian has received 5 CPR Lifesaving awards since 2018. Sheriff Strada states “Telecommunicators are the first ones to receive emergency calls and often times save lives over the phone by giving medical direction to those in need. They all do a terrific job, often times handling extremely stressful emergency calls while remaining calm and professional to ensure the proper resources are sent to those in need. Brian and Shannon bring experience, dedication, and commitment to the organization and are well deserving of this promotion.” Photo: Left to Right – Sheriff Michael F. Strada, Supervising PST Brian Cannon, Supervising PST Shannon Quinn & Director Mark Rozek

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.

< Back Thank You First Responders Previous Next On behalf of the Sussex County Sheriff's Office and Office of Emergency Management, I would like to thank all of the First Responders who responded and assisted at the plane crash in Hampton Township. Starting with the New Jersey State Police, who with the assistance of their aviation unit, located the plane wreckage in a remote wooded area in Hampton Township. What followed was a large response from multiple agencies. These agencies included but were not limited to the New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Police Office of Emergency Management, Sussex County Sheriff Office of Emergency Management, Sussex County Fire Marshal Office, Sussex County Haz-Mat team, Hampton Township Fire Department, Stillwater Township Fire Department , Fredon Township Fire Department, Lafayette Fire Department, Ogdensburg Fire Department, Highland Lakes Fire Department, Frankford Fire Department and the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. I would also like to recognize and thank the Sussex County Communications Center for ensuring that all the resources that we needed were dispatched to the accident site. Since the wreckage and the victims were located in a remote densely wooded area it made the recovery extremely difficult and challenging. Working in collaboration, the agencies were able to recover the victims and assist the NTSB with the recovery and removal of the aircraft from the woods. The First Responders, almost all of who are volunteers, spent close to 2 days assisting at the accident site. Although we all wish the outcome was better, these volunteers worked tirelessly to recover the victims and the aircraft. As the County Emergency Management Coordinator, it is comforting to know that the volunteers in Sussex County are ready and willing to respond to any emergency that we may face. I thank all of you for your assistance at the crash site and your continued hard work and dedication to your communities. Sincerely, Sheriff Michael Strada Sussex County Emergency Management Coordinator

Courthouse Security Overview The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office oversees the general security of the courthouse complex to ensure the orderly, peaceful and safe conduct of court business. Attorney ID Cards Find out about our attorney identification card program, designed to expedite attorney access into the Sussex County Judicial Center. Directions/Map Directions and map to the Sussex County Judicial Center, located at 43-47 High Street in Newton.

Arrested: Quintia Dessau, age 29, formerly of Dorchester, MA. < Back Sheriff’s officers arrest woman at state fair Arrested: Quintia Dessau, age 29, formerly of Dorchester, MA. Previous Next On Saturday, August 3, 2013, while assigned to traffic control during the NJ State Fair, sheriff’s officers Warren Slahor, Lew Labar and Lieutenant Lawrence Beller encountered Quintia Dessau. Further investigation revealed Dessau to be the subject of several outstanding municipal warrants from Elizabeth, Fort Lee, Linden and Atlantic City municipal courts. Dessau was immediately arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. She was ultimately turned over to the custody of the Elizabeth Police Department for transport to the Essex County Jail where she was subsequently lodged in lieu of $14,075 bail.

Arrested: Nelson O. Guerrero, age 21, of Selinsgrove, PA. < Back Pennsylvania man arrested at MVC Arrested: Nelson O. Guerrero, age 21, of Selinsgrove, PA. Previous Next On Tuesday, October 18, 2011, while assigned to the Motor Vehicle Commission in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Samantha Schilling encountered Nelson Guerrero attempting to obtain a New Jersey driver’s license. After observing Guerrero providing MVC staff with false information, Sheriff’s Officer Schilling ran a criminal warrants check for him. That investigation revealed him to be the subject of an out-of-state Superior Court arrest warrant from Pennsylvania. Guerrero was taken into custody and lodged comfortably in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility without bail. He is currently awaiting extradition to Pennsylvania. Detective Mike Yanko assisted in the arrest.

Arrested: Kenneth Wilkins, age 23, of Branchville, Steven Pierce, age 36, formerly of Stillwater Township and Joseph Selobyt, age 45, of Frankford Township, NJ. < Back Narcotics distributor arrested in Frankford Township Arrested: Kenneth Wilkins, age 23, of Branchville, Steven Pierce, age 36, formerly of Stillwater Township and Joseph Selobyt, age 45, of Frankford Township, NJ. Previous Next On Tuesday, March 4, 2014, members of the Sussex County Guns, Gangs, and Narcotics Task Force, accompanied by New Jersey State Police troopers and an officer from the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, arrested Kenneth Wilkins and Joseph Selobyt during a motor vehicle stop in Frankford Township. Selobyt, who was already the subject of an outstanding Superior Court warrant for distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, was also found to be in possession of 60 bags of cocaine weighing approximately 18 grams and 5 grams of raw (uncut) heroin at the time of his arrest. Both Selobyt and Wilkins were transported to the New Jersey State Police barracks in Augusta for processing before being lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. Kenneth Wilkins was charged with aiding in the distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. He remains incarcerated at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $100,000 bail with no 10% option. Joseph Selobyt was charged with six separate counts of distribution of a controlled dangerous substance and one count of possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute. He remains incarcerated at the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $150,000 bail with no 10% option. On Wednesday, March 5, 2014, members of the Sussex County Guns, Gangs, and Narcotics Task Force along with Sussex County Sheriff’s officers conducted additional investigations at Selobyt’s residence. During the course of that investigation, officers discovered additional quantities of cocaine along with packaging materials and other assorted drug paraphernalia. While at that location, officers also discovered Steven Pierce. Further investigation revealed Pierce to be in possession of a quantity of cocaine and a hypodermic syringe. Pierce was subsequently arrested and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. He was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (cocaine) in an amount of less than 1/2 ounce, a fourth degree crime and possession of a hypodermic needle for an unlawful purpose, a disorderly persons offense. Pierce was issued summonses for the above offenses, given a future court date to appear in Frankford Township Municipal Court, and released on his own recognizance. Upon the discovery of the additional cocaine and packaging materials in his residence, Joseph Selobyt was also charged with maintaining a controlled dangerous substance production facility. He remains lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility in lieu of $250,000 bail with no 10% option.

Links Sussex County Links Sussex County Official Website Sussex County Prosecutor's Office Morris/Sussex Vicinage Police Department Web Site New Jersey State Police Andover Township Police Department Byram Police Department Hamburg Police Department Hardyston Police Depart Hopatcong Police Department Newton Police Department Ogdensburg Police Department New Jersey Links State of New Jersey Web Site New Jersey Judiciary’s Jury Duty Information New Jersey Crime Statistics New Jersey Sex Offender Internet Registry New Jersey Dept. of Corrections New Jersey Dept. of Corrections Offender Search New Jersey’s AMBER Alert Plan New Jersey Press Association Online Public Notices

The deputy emergency management coordinator attended FEMA’s National Emergency Management Executive Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. < Back Corporal Mark Vogel graduates FEMA Executive Academy The deputy emergency management coordinator attended FEMA’s National Emergency Management Executive Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. Previous Next Corporal Mark Vogel, CEM , the deputy emergency management coordinator for the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, recently graduated from FEMA’s National Emergency Management Executive Academy in Emmitsburg, MD. Corporal Vogel, who has served as deputy emergency management coordinator for the past fifteen years, completed the full curriculum that supports the advancement of the emergency management profession at strategic policy and executive leadership levels. This program has enhanced his talents in emergency management through critical thinking, visionary strategic planning, negotiation, and conflict resolution applied to complex real-world problems. Corporal Vogel completed the four resident courses in the Executive Academy to include: E0680 Examining Emergency Management Policy and Doctrine; E0682 Leading Complex Systems; E0684 Interpreting the Contemporary Emergency Management Environment; E0686 Creating the Emergency Management Stakeholder Community; and a collaborative capstone project. The Executive Academy instills emergency management leaders with a deeper understanding of contemporary and emerging emergency management issues, debates and public policy. It provides insights, theories, tools and resources that enable decision-makers to think and act more strategically and to build capacity to protect against, prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all types of disasters. Sheriff Strada, stating that Corporal Vogel’s training will continue to enhance the operations of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, Division of Emergency Management, commends Corporal Vogel for graduating from this prestigious program. Corporal Mark Vogel (right) is congratulated by FEMA’s Dr. Daniel Kaniewski as he graduates. Photo by Shane Gibbon/FEMA.

Arrested: Robert J. Slater, age 26, of Ogdensburg, NJ. < Back Man arrested at courthouse after attempting to fake drug test Arrested: Robert J. Slater, age 26, of Ogdensburg, NJ. Previous Next On Monday, March 21, 2011, Robert Slater was arrested by Sheriff’s Officer Johnny Swords after allegedly attempting to defraud the administration of a court ordered drug test. Sheriff’s Officer Swords took Slater into custody and, upon further investigation, discovered an outstanding municipal court warrant against him. Slater was charged with attempting to defraud the administration of a drug test and lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility on $25,000 bail.

Arrested: James S. Fox, age 22, of Branchville, NJ. < Back Frankford Township motor vehicle stop results in weapon arrest Arrested: James S. Fox, age 22, of Branchville, NJ. Previous Next On Tuesday, May 17, 2011, while assigned to community policing in Frankford Township, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty observed a motor vehicle being operated by James S. Fox failing to maintain its lane of traffic. Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty stopped the vehicle and, after observing Fox attempt to perform several field sobriety tests, determined him to be intoxicated. Additionally, Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty observed a small handgun in the vehicle. The handgun was later determined to be a small caliber air pump metal BB gun. Further investigation also revealed Fox to be in possession of a quantity of marijuana. Fox was taken into custody and transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where he was processed and released. Fox was charged with driving while intoxicated, possession of a controlled dangerous substance in an amount less than 1/2 ounce, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a handgun without a permit, and several motor vehicle offenses. He was given a date to appear in Frankford Township Municipal Court. During the investigation, Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty was assisted by Sheriff’s Officer Ed Galinski and Sheriff’s Sergeant Ray Loevlie.

Arrested: Theresa Lavin, age 27, of Sussex Borough, NJ. < Back Woman arrested for attempting to fake drug test Arrested: Theresa Lavin, age 27, of Sussex Borough, NJ. Previous Next On Wednesday, September 28, 2011, while assigned to the Motor Vehicle Commission in Newton, Sheriff’s Officer Scott Haggerty observed Christina Talmadge operating a motor vehicle. Knowing her driving privileges to be suspended, Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty stopped Talmadge’s vehicle. Further investigation revealed she was also the subject of an outstanding warrant from Frankford Township Municipal Court. Sheriff’s Officer Haggerty immediately took Talmadge into custody and transported her to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where she was processed, given a future court date and released on her own recognizance.