PARSIPPANY — Former Rockaway Township Chief of Police, Joseph Devine, an administrative hearing officer, has adjudicated several cases involving Parsippany Police Officers in the past and according to his contract with the Township he has always been paid for his services.
However, there was one case in 2015 which Chief Devine got stiffed by Parsippany, that is, until an Open Public Records Request was submitted on March 8, 2019 exposing this fact.
The current administration recently paid the three-year old outstanding bill.
In a letter addressed to Parsippany Police Chief Andrew Miller dated October 17, 2018, Chief Devine wrote: “Enclosed is a copy of the Carifi Invoice dated March 29, 2016. Also enclosed is an itemized invoice of the time spent on this matter and a copy of my findings dated October 25, 2015. There was no formal response to this invoice from the Barberio administration and it has not been paid. However, I was advised informally that as Mayor Barberio did not like my decision in this matter that I was not going to be paid.”
Devine was appointed by Parsippany to be the hearing officer in former Parsippany Police Captain James Carifi’s administrative hearing by former Mayor Barberio.
Devine eventually dismissed the administrative charges. Devine went on to write: “It is my understanding that the current administration is honest and professional. I have waited out the political and legal storms surrounding the Carifi matter in the hope that I would eventually get paid. The decision rendered in this matter was objective, logical, and made in good faith…”
In December of 2015, Council members Robert Peluso and Lou Valori voted to accept Chief Devine’s findings.
However, Councilman Michael dePierro did not. Council members Brian Stanton and Paul Carifi abstained from voting.
The vote passed 2-1 to accept Devine’s findings.
Parsippany Focus spoke with Township CFO Ann Cucci. Cucci confirmed that $14,500 was recently paid to Devine on March 17, 2019 and that she had only been given the ancient invoice on March 6, 2019.
A request from former Mayor James Barberio went unanswered.
Township Attorney Jim Lott advised the current Council Members not to answer any questions concerning this matter due to ongoing litigation.
