MORRIS COUNTY — “A site-based assessment team from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA®), will examine all aspects of the Morris County Sheriff’s Office policy and procedures, management, operations, and support services, starting on Monday, October 21,” stated Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon.

Verification by the team that the Morris County Sheriff’s Office meets the Commission’s state-of-the-art standards is part of a voluntary process to gain accreditation — a highly prized recognition of public safety professional excellence, Sheriff Gannon said.

As part of the assessment, agency personnel and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Tuesday, October 22 at 3:00 p.m. The session will be conducted in the Freeholders Public Meeting Room located on the Fifth Floor of the County of Morris Administration & Records Building, 10 Court Street, Morristown.

If for any reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, he/she may do so by telephone. The public may call (973) 285-6053 on Tuesday, October 22 between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 Noon.

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with CALEA Standards. A copy of the standards is available at the main Sheriff’s Office located in the Morris County Courthouse, 56 Washington Street, Morristown.

The local contact is Accreditation Manager Detective/Captain Denise Thornton at (973) 285-6675.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to write: Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement, Inc. (CALEA®), 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office has to comply with 361 standards in order to gain accredited status, Sheriff Gannon said.

“The Morris County Sheriff’s Office Bureau of Law Enforcement first achieved prestigious CALEA Accreditation in 1998 and has continued to maintain excellence and compliance with Accreditation standards that have increased in number over the past two decades.  Accreditation helps to ensure consistency in top-level service and accountability to the public,” Sheriff Gannon said.

The Morris County Sheriff’s Office was first accredited in March of 1998 when the agency was found to be in compliance with 337 standards. The agency was re-accredited in 2004, 2007, 2009, 2012 and again in 2016.

Accreditation is for four years, during which the agency must submit annual reports, and participate in annual remote web-based assessments attesting continued compliance with those standards under which it was initially accredited.

For more information regarding the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. please write the Commission at 13575 Heathcote Boulevard, Suite 320 Gainesville, Virginia 20155; or call (703) 352-4225 or email calea@calea.org.

MORRIS COUNTY — On Thursday, October 10  at the Public Safety Training Academy, Morris County First Assistant Prosecutor Thomas A. Zelante, on behalf of Morris County Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp, joined Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Butler Police Chief Ciro Chimento, President of the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, and other Morris County law enforcement and school officials to announce the launch of a free mobile app called RSVP-3 Morris County, NJ. Students, school staff and parents can use the free app to anonymously report threats to school safety and behavior that could disrupt classroom security, such as bullying, harassment, substance abuse or potential violence.

RSVP-3 – which stands for Responsible School Violence Prevention, Preparation, Protection – is a component of a multi-faceted program between the Morris County Sheriff’s Office and the Morris County Police Chiefs Association, in response to recent school shootings that that occurred in our country.

The mobile app is live and can be downloaded as follows:

• Go to the Google Play store or Apple App Store on your mobile device.
• Search for RSVP-3 Morris County.
• Once installed, open the application
• Enter a unique four-digit passcode that you will remember and use as a login.

Tips to the app are monitored by law enforcement professionals working cooperatively with school officials in real-time, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year. Funding for the app was made possible by the Morris County Sheriff’s Crimestoppers program, and the behavioral threat assessment curriculum on behalf of the Morris County Board of Freeholders and the federal Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI).

“The app is a tool that students, who may not be comfortable reporting disturbing information in person, can reliably inform the police and school personnel to avert a tragedy,” Sheriff Gannon said.

First Assistant Prosecutor Thomas A. Zelante said the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office congratulates Sheriff Gannon, Chief Chimento and Morris County Sheriff’s Crimestoppers Chairman John Sette, and the other law enforcement officials involved in launching this important preventive step. First Assistant Prosecutor Zelante said “This app will save children from injury and the after-effects of injuries.”

Also speaking at the announcement were Assemblyman Anthony Bucco, Morris County Freeholder Deputy Director Heather Darling, Chairman John Sette of the Morris County Sheriff’s Crimestoppers, Sheriff’s Investigator Ashley Craig, Denville Superintendent of Schools Steve Forte, and retired Denville Police Chief Christopher Wagner.

PARSIPPANY — Bullying continues to take place, causing lasting scars for some children and teens. During National Bullying Prevention Month, NewBridge Services joins in the call for communities to take steps to stop all forms of bullying.

“No matter where you look, you’ll find incidents of bullying,” said Mary Vineis, director of Community Response and Education at NewBridge Services. “It is imperative to create a school culture that embraces people’s differences, addresses underlying issues that lead to bullying, and creates an expectation that the behavior won’t be accepted.”

NJ School Statistics on Bullying
Bullying in New Jersey’s public schools increased to more than 7,500 incidents during the 2017-2018 school year, and more than half of them took place in middle schools. That’s according to the most recent Student Safety and Discipline in New Jersey Public Schools report and an analysis by the Education Law Center. The ELC analysis found a 17 percent increase in Harassment, Intimidation & Bullying (HIB) incidents between the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 school years. Surveys have found that one in five students is bullied.

Bullying takes various forms, from physical abuse to verbal attacks and rumor-spreading, but always, the intention is to inflict harm. Children’s expanding access to cell phones, social media websites and software applications has contributed to cyberbullying. (Still, most bullying incidents occur on school grounds, the state report said.)

Bullying doesn’t only harm the victim, but also the perpetrator. Studies also show that children who bully are more likely to have problems holding down a job, struggle in relationships, become dependent on alcohol or drugs, and get in trouble with the law, Vineis said.

Learning to Resolve Conflicts
Of the 18,741 HIB investigations conducted in schools in the 2017-2018 school year, about 40 percent were deemed to be bullying incidents, the state report showed. “Often, what appears to be bullying is actually kids trying to solve conflicts without having the skills to do it,’’ Vineis said. “Adults need to teach kids tools to effectively resolve conflict.”

NewBridge offers in-school trainings that teach children ways to handle bullying and deal with conflict, and educators ways to create a safe environment. Students learn coping skills and approaches to building self-image so they are less susceptible to other people’s opinions. Children learn to react non-emotionally to hurtful words and to take power away from a student who is bullying by not engaging him. NewBridge also offers programs for parents, to let them know what the latest threats are and how best to cope with them.

What Students, Schools and Parents Can Do
Classmates can help defuse bullying by simply speaking up. A 2012 study found that when bystanders intervene, bullying stops within 10 seconds in more than half of incidents. “When bystanders say or do nothing, the kid who is doing the bullying may interpret that as them endorsing the behavior,” Vineis said.

One of the most important approaches for schools is to implement rules that delineate acts of bullying and the consequences of those acts.

At home, parents can seize on teachable moments, she said. If their child talks unkindly about another child, “call him on it. Ask him how he would feel if someone were saying something like that about him,’’ Vineis said. Doing so “provides an opportunity for him to have empathy.’’

Warning Signs
Here are warning signs from StopBullying.gov that indicate a child is being bullied, and others that a child may be doing the bullying:

Being bullied:
Unexplainable injuries
Lost or destroyed clothing, books, electronics, or jewelry
Frequent headaches or stomach aches, feeling sick or faking illness
Changes in eating habits, like suddenly skipping meals or binge eating
Difficulty sleeping or frequent nightmares
Declining grades, loss of interest in schoolwork, or not wanting to go to school
Sudden loss of friends or avoidance of social situations
Feelings of helplessness or decreased self esteem
Self-destructive behaviors such as running away from home, harming themselves, or talking about suicide

Bullying:
Gets into physical or verbal fights
Has friends who bully others
Shows increasingly aggressiveness
Gets sent to the principal’s office or to detention frequently
Has unexplained extra money or new belongings
Blames others for their problems
Doesn’t accept responsibility for their actions
Worries about their reputation or popularity

Here’s how children can help themselves
Treat everyone with respect. Stop yourself from saying or doing something that could hurt someone. And if you think you’ve ever bullied someone, say you’re sorry.
If you’re being bullied, look at the person who’s doing it and tell him or her to stop in a calm, clear voice. If you can’t, walk away. Talk to a trusted adult, who can help you make a plan to stop the bullying. Staying near adults and other kids can help you avoid bullying situations.
Stay safe online. Think about what you post, knowing someone could forward it. Don’t share anything that could hurt or embarrass someone. Don’t share passwords with friends or other classmates (but do share with your parents!) Check your security settings to ensure only the people you want to see your posts see them. If you get a message or see a post that alarms you, talk to a trusted adult.
Stand up for other kids. If you see bullying, let an adult know. Reach out to the person who was bullied so they know they are not alone.

For more information about in-school program provided by NewBridge, contact Vineis at (973) 686-2228 or click here.

MORRIS COUNTY — Cara Parmigiani, the Democratic challenger for Morris County Freeholder, has earned the endorsement of the Transportation Workers Union of America, Local 100, which represents public transportation employees in the New York City metropolitan area.

“Public transportation is a critical cog in Morris County’s economic machine that allows our residents to commute to their jobs and support their families. We need to improve and expand our public transportation options to improve the quality of life of our commuting residents and staunch the exodus of younger generations out of Morris County because they cannot commute easily to their jobs,” Parmigiani said.

“Additionally, public transportation provides good jobs, and I am proud to have the support of the TWU, which ensures the integrity of these professions,” Parmigiani said. “The TWU makes sure our public transportation workers are properly trained, are protected in their workplace and receive fair compensation and retirement security. We must always be diligent in recognizing the role organized labor plays in sustaining our middle class and protect their rights to collective bargaining,” Parmigiani said.

The Transportation Workers Union of America represents employees working in bus and subway lines, as well as several airlines, nationwide. TWU Local 100 represents 41,000 public transportation employees in the New York City metropolitan area who operate and maintain subway trains and tracks, staff token booths, clean platforms and cars and repair mechanical equipment, such as elevators and escalators; drive and maintain public buses; and perform similar work with many private commuter transportation firms and school bus companies. Local 100 also represents 26,000 retired transportation workers.

Cara has appeared as an attorney in fifteen New Jersey counties in most divisions of the Superior Court. She has also appeared before various planning boards, zoning boards and municipal courts. Cara provided guidance for a Municipal Master Plan re-evaluation and served on her local Affordable Housing Advisory Committee. Cara represents patients in psychiatric facilities across the state. Cara is a graduate of Rutgers University and Seton Hall Law School. She lives with her wife and daughter in Morris Plains.

For more information click here.