8 TR1113CABINET HINDASH.JPG

Kevin O'Dowd, Gov. Chris Christie's chief of staff turned new Attorney General, looks on as Christie holds a cabinet meeting last month.

(Saed Hindash/The Star-Ledger)

TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie's nomination of Kevin O'Dowd to be New Jersey's next attorney general continues a decade of historic turnover in the job of the state's top prosecutor, a pattern of disruption law enforcement experts say can hinder crime prevention and oversight of police agencies.

Assuming he is approved by the state Senate and takes over around the start of the new year, O’Dowd will be the eighth person in 10 years to hold the post, by far the most of any decade in state history. He would replace John Hoffman, who has served in an acting capacity since Jeffrey Chiesa left in June.

"This is bad, bad, bad," said Maki Haberfeld, a professor and expert in police administration at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. "Law enforcement needs stability. Even two or three years is not enough to make a difference to create something sustainable."

Only five states including New Jersey grant the governor the power to select the attorney general. The job here oversees a sprawling department in charge of criminal prosecutions, the State Police, consumer affairs, civil litigation, gaming enforcement and civil rights.

Former attorneys general acknowledged the rapid-fire change but downplayed the impact, saying many of the people within the department remain the same even when the leader changes. They note, however, that the job is demanding and more money can be made in the private sector.

"I don’t think there’s any diminishing in the level of service that the Attorney General’s Office provides, and it’s the way the government runs," Chiesa said in a recent interview. "There’s some turnover but the people who have held the job have done a tremendous public service."

If confirmed, O’Dowd would be the fourth attorney general under Gov. Chris Christie. A spokesman for Christie, Michael Drewniak, said the concern about turnover "sounds like criticism for the sake of criticism."

"The governor’s selections for attorney general have all been highly competent individuals, all with extensive experience in government and at the U.S. Attorney’s Office," Drewniak said. "There has been a continuity in quality, legal ability and management skills among our attorneys general that any governor — in any state — could only wish for."

But like a new football coach learning a book of plays, attorneys general in New Jersey must study up on a massive department built of policy and oversight. Doing that and making improvements takes time, said Wayne Fisher, a professor at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice.

"The functions of the office would probably be served better with more continuity," Fisher said. "The authority the attorney general has in New Jersey ... is unprecedented compared to the rest of the country. That alone means it takes time to get up to speed and learn what’s involved."

With each attorney general comes new priorities, which causes law enforcement initiatives to change and lose focus, Fisher said. But he added that the combination of fresh vision from leadership and career veterans within the department make for a good mix. "That is probably a strength of our system in New Jersey, and does not work to its detriment," he said.

Star-Ledger staff writer Salvador Rizzo contributed to this report.

RELATED COVERAGE

• Chris Christie nominates his chief of staff to serve as attorney general

• More Politics







FOLLOW STAR-LEDGER POLITICS: TWITTER • FACEBOOK • GOOGLE+