Seven staff members from the Bureau of Corrections were recently promoted. < Back Sheriff Strada announces Bureau of Corrections promotions Seven staff members from the Bureau of Corrections were recently promoted. Previous Next Sheriff Michael F. Strada is pleased to announce the following promotions within the Bureau of Corrections. Michael Scuzzese Officer Michael Scuzzese has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. A six-year veteran of the Bureau of Corrections, Sergeant Scuzzese began his law enforcement career in 2010. He currently serves on multiple specialized units for the department. A U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom and a graduate of the Passaic County Police Academy, Sergeant Scuzzese also holds a bachelor’s degree in social science as well as a master’s degree in science of management. Jeremy Lock Corrections Officer Jeremy Lock has been promoted to sergeant. A 1998 High Point Regional High School graduate, Sergeant Lock is an 8-year veteran of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Corrections. In 2013 he was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for his actions in subduing a violent inmate after receiving serious injuries during the altercation. He was named Officer of the Year in 2014. He holds an associate’s degree in criminal justice. Anthony Masucci Corporal Anthony Masucci has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. Sergeant Masucci began his law enforcement career with the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office in 1996. A graduate of the NJ State Police Training Commission Basic Training Course, during his 20 year career with the sheriff’s office, Sergeant Masucci has served as a field training officer, a certified police academy instructor, a certified basic life support/AED instructor, a member of the Special Operations Group with extensive training in high risk transports, cell extractions and hostage rescue team. He is a recipient of the Sheriff’s Achievement Award and Good Conduct Award as well as an active member/rider of the Police Unity Tour. Sergeant Masucci’s most recent assignment has been with the department’s Special Services Division as the supply and logistics officer. Daniel Truppo Corrections Officer Daniel Truppo has been promoted to the rank of sergeant. A 2001 graduate of Lenape Valley Regional High School, Sergeant Truppo began his career at the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office in 2003. A 13-year veteran of the Bureau of Corrections, Sergeant Truppo is also a volunteer firefighter. In addition to being a recipient of the Sheriff’s Achievement Award, Sergeant Truppo was awarded the Meritorious Service Award for his actions during a fire in the correctional facility’s laundry room in 2005. Erich Olsen Corporal Erich Olsen has been promoted to sergeant. A 20-year veteran of the Bureau of Corrections, throughout his career, Sergeant Olsen has served as a field training officer, assistant team commander of the special operations group, tactical response unit team leader, training officer, firearms instructor, emergency management team member, police academy instructor, and the Bureau of Corrections armorer. A graduate of the New Jersey State Corrections Officer Training Academy (COTA), Sergeant Olsen is a three time recipient of the Sheriff’s Good Conduct Award as well as the Exceptional Duty Award. Sergeant Olsen is a past vice president of Police Benevolence Association Local 378 and, since 2007, is its current president. Brian Snyder Officer Brian Snyder has been promoted to the rank of corporal. A 15-year veteran of the Bureau of Corrections, Corporal Snyder is the recipient of the Sheriff’s Achievement Award. Corporal Snyder has worked on the S.L.A.P. and S.W.A.P. unit for six years and has received many letters of recognition for his professionalism and dedication to the department. Jeffery Miller Officer Jeffery Miller has been promoted to the rank of corporal. A 15-year veteran of the Bureau of Corrections, Corporal Miller graduated from the Police Academy of Passaic County. Corporal Miller was a recipient of the Sheriff’s Achievement Award in 2008. Sheriff Strada thanks each of the above members for their service and congratulates them on their promotions. Pictured from left to right: Corporal Jeffery Miller, Sergeant Jeremy Lock, Sergeant Anthony Masucci, Sheriff Michael Strada, Warden Mark Farsi, Sergeant Daniel Truppo, Sergeant Michael Scuzzese, Sergeant Erich Olsen.

Arrested: Emmet Emery Norman, Jr., age 49, of Newton, NJ. < Back Newton man arrested for bringing marijuana with him to court Arrested: Emmet Emery Norman, Jr., age 49, of Newton, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, February 27, 2014, while assigned to the front door security post at the Sussex County Superior Courthouse, Sheriff’s Officer Warren Slahor encountered Emmit Emery Norman. Mr. Norman placed several items from his pockets on top of a table at the security post. Included in those items was a cigarette package containing a small amount of marijuana. As a result, Officer Slahor placed Norman under arrest and escorted him to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office for processing. Emmit Emery Norman, Jr. was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (marijuana) in an amount of less than 1/2 ounce. He was issued a summons for that charge, given a future court date to appear in Newton Municipal Court, and subsequently released.

The sweep, carried out in all 21 New Jersey counties, tracks down parents with outstanding warrants for failure to pay child support. < Back Sheriff's office participates in statewide nonsupport sweep The sweep, carried out in all 21 New Jersey counties, tracks down parents with outstanding warrants for failure to pay child support. Previous Next The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office’s participated in the New Jersey Statewide Nonsupport Warrant Sweep. The sweep targets noncustodial parents who are seriously delinquent in making child support payments. It is a cooperative effort of sheriff’s offices in all twenty-one counties, the Sheriff’s Association of New Jersey, the New Jersey Division of Family Development and the New Jersey Office of Child Support Services. According to Sussex County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kieran McMorrow, the operation, carried out today by sheriff’s officers armed with arrest warrants, began in the early morning hours and resulted in the apprehension and arrest of seven individuals who failed to pay their court ordered child support. Additionally, two individuals surrendered themselves directly to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office. Those arrested in the sweep were processed and lodged in the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility. In order to be released, a delinquent parent must pay all the monies owed. If unable to make full payment, a court appearance will be scheduled and at that time, a Superior Court judge will determine, on a case-by-case basis, the amount that must be paid in order to gain release. Sheriff Strada, noting that the sweep will continue through Thursday, advises that Sussex County residents with an active warrant for nonsupport may want to contact his office to make arrangements for surrender to avoid being rousted by sheriff’s officers. Know the whereabouts of someone for whom an arrest warrant has been issued for nonsupport? Members of the public can use this web site to submit an anonymous tip. Simply navigate to our wanted section, take a look at the gallery of wanted individuals and if you spot someone you can help us out with, click on the envelope icon to the far right of the wanted person’s name to access and submit our tip submission form.

Arrested: Christopher J. Fiorenza, age 25, of Vernon Township, NJ. < Back Vernon man arrested attempting to defraud drug test Arrested: Christopher J. Fiorenza, age 25, of Vernon Township, NJ. Previous Next On Thursday, January 15, 2015, while assigned to the Sussex County Probation Department, Sheriff’s Officer Justin McCann was advised by probation staff that probationer Christopher Fiorenza was attempting to provide a fraudulent urine sample. Officer McCann responded to their location and, following a brief investigation, discovered Fiorenza to be in possession of a device commonly used to defraud court-ordered drug screens. Officer McCann immediately arrested Fiorenza and he was subsequently transported to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office where he was charged with defrauding the administration of a drug test, a third degree crime. Fiorenza was issued a summons to appear in court at a future date and released on his own recognizance. Lieutenant Larry Beller and Sheriff’s Officer William Lunger assisted in the arrest.

Sheriff Strada praises the efforts of those involved in preparing for and assisting in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. < Back Sheriff's office challenged by weather Sheriff Strada praises the efforts of those involved in preparing for and assisting in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Previous Next There is an old adage that warns about relaxing during the calm before a storm. In the days immediately preceding Hurricane Sandy’s attack on New Jersey, however, the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office was a virtual hotbed of activity. In anticipation of the storm, Sheriff Strada ordered his deputy emergency management coordinators to meet with the county fire marshal, county administrator, and various other representatives of county government along with all of the police chiefs, fire chiefs, each of the municipal OEM coordinators, and emergency medical service personnel from the first aids squads throughout the county to discuss plans for the county’s coordinated response to Hurricane Sandy. Vacations and leave times for essential personnel were cut short or cancelled outright and the county Emergency Operations Center (EOC) was proactively placed on generator power to ensure no breaks in emergency communications. Then came the storm. We all know what followed. Trees uprooted or felled throughout the county, structural damage to many homes, main roads closed, approximately 90% of Sussex County without power, residents scrambling for generators, families without water and customers waiting on 3-hour lines for fuel. This was the challenging environment the Sheriff’s Office functioned in during the days which followed. In addition to their regular patrol duties, including checks on the welfare of affected citizens, providing security to both the county jail and Superior Court, and the transportation of certain displaced residents to and from emergency shelters, Sussex County sheriff’s officers were also assigned to the Sussex County EOC from the onset of Hurricane Sandy until the close of recovery operations. At first glance, the EOC looked like a smaller version of NASA’s mission control. Multiple computer terminals, each designated to an operator assigned to a specific task, lined the desks. At each desk, a representative of one of the branches of county government fielded telephone calls and disseminated information to the other branches. To the front of the room, multiple screens provided information regarding relevant news, weather and situational data. Members of the Sheriff’s Office, Sussex County Administrator John Eskilson, along with representatives from the county departments of environmental and public health services, engineering and planning, human services, central and shared services, as well as the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), joined liaisons from the utility companies, the American Red Cross and other community professionals involved in preparedness, monitoring, response and recovery. They all filled the room each day to assist in the coordination of the county’s response to Hurricane Sandy. Sheriff’s officers assigned to that post were responsible for handling requests for assistance and material from municipalities and attempting to obtain those materials from the state OEM. Additionally, they assisted in forwarding important topical information to the county to be continuously updated on the Sussex County web site and forwarded road closure and power failure information to representatives from Jersey Central Power and Light (JCPL&L). Beginning roughly forty-eight hours after Hurricane Sandy raged through Sussex County, sheriff’s officers, along with law enforcement personnel from several other local police agencies, began patrolling and monitoring gas stations throughout Sussex County to ensure proper distribution of fuel and to prevent civil unrest. Sheriff’s officers remained around the clock at the American Red Cross shelter located at the Sussex County Technical School for the duration of its operation. They were there to supervise the security and safety of the approximately 800 displaced Sussex County residents who had utilized that shelter during the state of emergency. Additionally, sheriff’s officers transported and distributed equipment and supplies to the American Red Cross shelter located at the Hopatcong high school which aided in excess, of 7,000 displaced residents throughout the storm. Sheriff’s officers were also tasked with escorting representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) throughout the county to assess the damage from the storm. As much of the county lost power, the Keogh-Dwyer Correctional Facility was no exception. The jail was without direct power for approximately three days. During that time, sheriff’s corrections officers maintained security, order, and continued the day-to-day operations of overseeing approximately 190 incarcerates with limited back-up power. Throughout the recovery, members of the Sheriff’s Office assigned to the Sussex County OEM continued to distribute ice and water to local OEM coordinators so that it could be distributed to their town’s residents. During the storm and its aftermath, over 13,500 cases of bottled water, 4,370 bags of ice and over 1,200 sandbags were distributed throughout the county for residents in need. Sheriff Strada would like to sincerely thank the following groups for all of their assistance in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Local and county dispatchers, the Sussex County Fire Marshal, township chiefs of police and chiefs of fire departments, municipal OEM coordinators, volunteer fire and EMS personnel throughout the county, elected government officials from the town, county, state, and federal levels, public works departments at both the municipal and county levels, the Sussex County departments of environmental and public health services, engineering and planning, human services, central and shared services, CERT, FEMA, representatives of both local power companies, the volunteers of the American Red Cross, all local and state level law enforcement officers, and the men and women of the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office, bureaus of both law enforcement and corrections.

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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.

Sheriff's Office History The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office is the first and oldest established law enforcement agency in Sussex County. The first sheriff was Joseph Brackenridge. He was appointed on November 12, 1753 and served for eleven months. The second sheriff was Morris Robeson who served as sheriff for three years and that has since been the established term of office. Past Sussex County Sheriffs 1753-54 Joseph Brackenridge 1754-57 Morris Robeson 1757-60 Peter Schenck 1760-63 Issaac Hull 1763-66 Ephraim Darby 1766-69 Jacob Stan 1769-72 Hugh Hughes 1772-75 Thomas Potts 1775-79 Philip Dodderer 1779-82 William Kerr 1782-85 Mark Thompson 1785-88 William Kerr 1788-91 James Hyndshaw 1791-94 Mark Thompson 1794-97 James Hyndshaw 1797-97 Charles Pemberton 1797-03 George Bidelman 1803-06 Charles Pemberton 1806-09 John Gustin 1809-12 Ephraim Green, Jr. 1812-15 John Linn 1815-18 Daniel Swayze 1818-21 William Darrah 1821-24 Van Cleve Moore 1824-25 George Mushback 1825-28 Benjamin Hamilton 1828-31 Lewis DeCamp 1831-34 Uzal C. Hagerty 1834-37 Alexander Boyles 1837-40 John Broderick 1840-43 George H. McCarter 1843-46 Andrew Shiner 1846-49 Joseph A. Osborn 1849-52 George H. Neldon 1852-55 Frederick Arvis 1855-58 Richard E. Edsall 1858-61 Peter S. Decker 1861-64 Charles Arvis 1864-67 James Smith 1867-70 Jesse Ward 1870-73 Thomas Simonson 1873-79 William Ross 1879-83 William L. Decker 1883-85 Jacob E. Hornbeck 1885-88 J.T. Kays 1888-91 Henry C. Stoll 1891-94 William J. Williams 1894-97 Peter S. Gunderman 1897-00 Joseph C. Andress 1900-01 John N. Hotalin 1901-06 Joseph C. Andress 1906-08 Judson Kilpatrick Gunn 1908-11 Joseph C. Andress 1911-12 George N. Harris 1912-16 Edward C. Maines 1916-18 William D. Wilson 1918-22 Israel D. Chardavogne 1922-24 Linus B. Littel 1924-27 B.V. Mackerley 1927-29 Peter H. Lanterman 1929-32 Arthur D. Wilson 1932-35 Claude Paddock 1935-38 Sydney Webster 1938-41 Denton J. Quick 1941-44 Russell Van Atta 1944-47 Clarence Hazen 1947-56 James Skok 1956-84 Gerald “Bucky” Willis 1984-89 Fred Cooper 1989-89 Michael Blahut 1989-10 Robert E. Untig 2011- ____ Michael F. Strada

CERT Join the Sussex County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and become better prepared to respond to emergency situations right here in your own community. Members of Sussex County’s CERT give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts. CERT members receive training in the following areas: disaster preparedness disaster fire suppression medical operations light search and rescue operations disaster psychology and team organization terrorism and CERT disaster simulation Total basic training is usually about 24 hours, scheduled in 2-1/2 hour modules over a period of weeks. Training courses, materials and equipment are provided free of charge. To become a CERT member, you must be at least 18 years of age. For more information, contact CERT coordinator Eric Muller at 973.579.0380, ext. 2536. New Jersey Office of Emergency Management CERT web site »

SLAP The Sussex County Sheriff’s Office offers the Sheriffs Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) to certain non-violent offenders sentenced to a term supervised by the Sussex Sheriff’s Office. This program has been highly successful and is explained in sections listed below. Sheriff’s Labor Assistance Program (SLAP) The SLAP program is a community-based labor program that provides a structured alternative to incarceration for persons sentenced by Sussex County Courts. Persons sentenced to SLAP are able to pay their dept to society by performing moderate levels of manual labor. This enables them to maintain employment, provide for their families and continue to be productive members of society while satisfying their sentence. Offenders are prudently screened and only those with nonviolent, minor offenses are admitted into the program. Participants are required to follow all rules and regulations or face having their SLAP sentence revoked. At that time, they may be required to serve the remainder of their sentence in jail. SLAP participants provide non-skilled manual labor to nonprofit public and private agencies at no cost. Many organizations within Sussex County use the program regularly. SLAP participants are supervised by armed Officers at all times and are never left at jobs sites without supervision. Work that cannot be done by SLAP participants: SLAP does not work at private companies, personal homes or areas that are deemed unsafe by Sheriff's Office personnel. SLAP participants are not allowed to operate power tools such as chain saws and riding lawnmowers. Participants are not allowed to climb ladders that are over 10 feet off the ground. Participants cannot enter rivers, lakes or other bodies of water. Participants cannot remove poison ivy, oak, sumac, etc. Nonprofit Sussex County agencies seeking to enlist SLAP participants for a specified project must submit all requests in writing on organization letterhead. The request should detail the work that you would like done, where it is located and who the contact person is. Written requests should be sent to the Sussex County Sheriff’s Office at 39 High Street, Newton, NJ 07860. All jobs must be checked prior to starting; a representative from the SLAP program will check the job site prior to beginning a project. You will also be required to fill out a work request form stating the type of services requested, that form will be provided by the Officer who will contact you for final approval. Please note the following: SLAP does not dispose of garbage collected; it is the requesting agency’s responsibility to arrange for pickup. All equipment that is needed for a job has to be provided by the requesting agency (i.e., rakes, shovels, push mowers, garbage bags etc.). For further information about SLAP, contact Corporal James Aumick or Corporal Brian Snyder at 973-579-0875 ext. 2307

< 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