Nicquel Terry

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ASBURY PARK - Acting Police Chief Anthony Salerno drove his city-issued 2013 Ford Explorer on a 2,200-mile personal trip to Florida last year and later blew out a tire on the vehicle without reporting the accident to the city, an Asbury Park Press investigation found.

The Press found that the chief had the oil changed on the $25,000 Ford Explorer in Sebring, Florida, on Feb. 9, 2015, according to a CarFax report obtained by the Press. The unique Vehicle Identification Number, or VIN, stated on the CarFax matched the VIN number stamped into the dashboard of the acting chief's city-issued car.

When presented with the information, officials past and present confirmed that they knew about the trip to Florida. They also confirmed that Salerno was investigated for not filing an accident report with the city when a tire blew out.

Salerno declined to comment on his trip to Florida or the accident.

Former interim city manager Tony Nuccio, who oversaw city operations through much of 2015, told the Press that the city administration had not signed off on any out-of-state trips for Salerno's vehicle and that the chief was later banned from using the SUV for personal travel.

Mayor John Moor said the council has been in the dark on most of the details surrounding Salerno's private use of the city vehicle. The mayor said employees should only use city-issued cars for municipal business. Driving them for personal matters is a liability for the city, he said.

"I know something happened and that Nuccio was addressing it," Moor said. "How it was ever resolved, it was never brought before mayor and council in whole to discuss it."

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City Manager Michael Capabianco, who started the job in November, said he did not know if Salerno paid for the maintenance work in Florida. However, the city routinely handles and funds all maintenance work for its vehicles, he said.

Former manager Nuccio also confirmed that in late spring of 2015, Salerno's vehicle hit a curb and blew one of the front tires while he was reportedly driving home from work. Salerno replaced two tires with his own money, Nuccio said. Most repair shops say tires must be replaced in pairs because treads on both sides must be even.

Nuccio said the acting chief violated city policy that states all accidents in municipal vehicles must be reported. Nuccio declined to say if Salerno faced discipline, calling it a "personnel matter."

“I have no objection to him replacing the tires or reporting it to us (the city) and having us replace them," Nuccio said. However, “accidents should be reported."

Salerno was named deputy police chief in May 2014, but has served as the acting police chief since Chief Mark Kinmon retired in September 2014. He draws a $121,977 annual salary, according to public records.

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While Nuccio wouldn't confirm that Salerno drove specifically to Florida, the Carfax report shows the vehicle received maintenance work at Alan Jay Ford Lincoln of Sebring in Sebring, Florida Feb. 9, 2015. The listed work includes maintenance inspection, oil and filter change and a battery and charging system check.

The city at first refused to provide the VIN number or license plate of the acting chief's city car, citing security concerns.

On Wednesday, when a Press reporter walked to the vehicle at City Hall to take a photograph of the VIN number, Salerno and another police officer confronted her and told her she was not allowed on the property.

When the reporter stated the cars were parked on public property, Salerno said only police vehicles and personnel were allowed in that lot. The second police officer demanded she present her press badge and then walked away with it. Moments later, Salerno asked the officer to return the reporter's badge.

Salerno's vehicle cost taxpayers approximately $25,000, excluding maintenance, fuel and insurance, officials say.

Nuccio said the city's policy states that vehicles issued to employees without contracts are not for personal use. Salerno does not have a contract, however he has been working under the guidelines of a previous contract former Chief Mark Kinmon had with the city, Nuccio said. That contract allowed Kinmon to use the city car for personal use.

Still, city officials did not approve Salerno to take the car to Florida.

“I told the chief that might not have been the smartest thing to do," Nuccio said.

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Nuccio said Asbury Park issues cars for employees to take home if they are in a position that requires being on call 24-hours-a-day. For example, he said the city manager, fire chief, police chief and director of public maintenance use the cars when responding to emergencies. They also can drive them to and from work, he said.

After the Florida trip, Nuccio said he told Salerno he could only use city cars for work purposes.

Former city manager Jack Kelly, who served in 2014, said he advised Salerno to use Kinmon's contract as a guide until he received his own. Kelly said he did not have any discussions with Salerno regarding his use of the city vehicle.

"I told him to use that (Kinmon's contract) as a guide until we were able to sit down and negotiate a final contract," said Kelly, who is now the business administrator for Newark. "But I never got to the point where I thoroughly read Kinmon's contract."

Kelly said during his tenure in Asbury Park he was not aware of Salerno taking any personal trips with the city vehicle.

City Manager Capabianco declined to say whether he planned to promote Salerno to a permanent police chief position. The city manager is responsible for all hiring decisions in the city.

“I won’t comment on a personnel matter," Capabianco said.

Nicquel Terry; nterry@gannettnj.com; 732-643-4023

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