A review of what The Star-Ledger disclosed about the New Jersey State Police in 2012, and how state officials responded:

JANUARY

DISCLOSED: Despite a decade of promises by the State Police to bolster black representation on the force, only three graduated from the latest recruit class. The number of black troopers as a percentage of the force decreased from 8 percent to about 6 percent from 2000 to 2011, the same time the state was under a federal consent decree to improve minority recruitment.

RESPONSE: The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People condemned the lack of progress, and Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa and the State Police undertook a renewed effort to connect with minority communities and attract qualified candidates for two recruit classes planned next year. In August, they announced the latest pool of applicants was the most diverse ever.

MARCH/APRIL

DISCLOSED: Two troopers escorted dozens of sports cars at speeds in excess of 100 mph on state highways, and witnesses said motorists struggled to get out of the way. Participants included members of an elite car club and NFL running back Brandon Jacobs, who was friends with one of the troopers. The newspaper's investigation revealed a video of a similar escort in 2010, as well as inconsistent explanations by State Police for who is responsible for overseeing escorts.

RESPONSE: The two troopers were suspended without pay, a local commander was temporarily reassigned and state authorities launched investigations as officials from the governor on down pledged swift action. Three high-level commanders were reassigned in one of the biggest shake-ups in State Police history. The two troopers were criminally charged and one of them resigned. Four troopers were disciplined and the state revised its policy for trooper escorts.

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MORE STATE POLICE COVERAGE:



• N.J. State Police still plagued by missteps despite improvements

• NAACP to N.J. State Police: End bias in hiring or we'll sue

• Current N.J. State Police applicant pool is most diverse ever

• Indictment against State Police detective involved in car crash could be dismissed

• N.J. State Police trooper suspended for allegedly punching man outside lounge

• Rough treatment of diabetic driver raises questions about N.J. State Police training

• Troopers' lawsuits against State Police cite transfers, lost promotions

• N.J. is one of two states to promote troopers based on supervisors' opinions

• State Police trooper fired after attacking South Jersey cop, resisting arrest

• N.J. State Police trooper accused of drunken driving after crashing car into creek

• N.J. State Police troopers to face criminal charges in 'Death Race 2012' case

• Three years later, State Police admit to using unreasonable force on N.J. man's disabled son

• State trooper pumped $7K of gas on the state's dime; theft of fuel for personal use points to a lack of oversight

• N.J. comptroller: State Police internal investigations take too long

APRIL

DISCLOSED: State Comptroller Matthew Boxer said in a report that internal State Police investigations were taking too long to complete, potentially allowing misconduct to fester and holding up trooper promotions. Boxer also recommended the State Police adopt guidelines for trooper discipline to ensure punishments are fair, consistent and objective.

RESPONSE: The Office of Law Enforcement Professional Standards, which oversees the State Police, said there were good reasons for why the investigations exceeded their 120-day limit and rejected the findings that reviews took too long. State Police investigators balked at disciplinary guidelines, saying they needed flexibility to consider misconduct case by case.

JUNE

DISCLOSED: A veteran State Police trooper was allowed to retire with pension and without criminal charges after stealing more than $7,000 worth of gasoline from state fuel pumps. During that same time, the Office of the State Auditor warned State Police that abuses had been documented and changes should be made, but nothing was done.

RESPONSE: The State Police said appropriate disciplinary action was taken. Records showed the trooper gave up accrued time off, had his pension reduced, medical benefits revoked and was barred from holding another police job in the state and from holding a gun permit for retired officers. The Treasury Department said it was planning tighter fuel controls but offered no timeline.

DISCLOSED: A video of troopers beating a mentally disabled man in 2009. A state investigation of the incident took three years, leading his family to complain that they had been stonewalled. It was later disclosed the State Police and Attorney General's Office initially cleared the primary trooper involved.



RESPONSE: The state announced two troopers involved used unreasonable force and would be disciplined. The attorney general said the investigation took too long and steps had been taken to expedite reviews. The state dropped its defense of one of the troopers in a related excessive force lawsuit. The Assembly speaker said the incident was "disturbing and unacceptable" and a bill was introduced to let mentally disabled people register with police to prevent future violence.

AUGUST

DISCLOSED: A trooper assigned to an elite emergency response unit was charged with drunken driving and other offenses after allegedly striking two parked cars in Lake Como, a quiet Monmouth County beach neighborhood, crashing his unmarked patrol car into a backyard creek and then fleeing.

RESPONSE: The State Police said the trooper was suspended without pay the same day as the accident pending the outcome of an internal investigation and criminal prosecution.

DISCLOSED: A trooper admitted to resisting arrest after being charged in 2010 for getting into a fight with Berlin Borough police when they responded to a domestic disturbance at her home.

RESPONSE: The State Police said they had fired the trooper.

SEPTEMBER

DISCLOSED: A Star-Ledger review of 14 lawsuits filed by troopers against State Police since 2005 found allegations of infighting and retaliation persist, and troopers continue to fear speaking up about wrongdoing because it could be detrimental to their careers. Current and former troopers, former attorneys general, criminal justice experts and lawyers who often face off with the State Police said the continuing allegations were cause for serious concern.

RESPONSE: The Attorney General's Office said retaliation lawsuits are filed in any workplace, and the 14 reviewed do not reflect on the 2,700-member force as a whole. The office also said the State Police's internal affairs unit effectively investigated and resolved such disputes and that tips about wrongdoing could be made anonymously. The office also said the State Police had been accredited in 2007 by a national commission that sets best practices for police organizations.

DISCLOSED: A Star-Ledger survey found the State Police were one of only two statewide law enforcement agencies to rely almost entirely on the opinion of supervisors for promotions, a practice most discarded years ago in favor of more objective written and verbal exams. The lack of objective criteria was widely cited as the reason the system could be manipulated against whistle-blowers, as well as why the state struggled to combat claims of wrongdoing in court.

RESPONSE: The Attorney General's Office said that although it considered the current system effective and efficient, a promotional exam was "worth a discussion." Gov. Chris Christie said he wanted to learn more about the promotion system and began a review, which is ongoing. "I learned some things I didn't know about the policy," Christie said of the survey.

OCTOBER

DISCLOSED: A driver who pulled himself over while suffering from low blood sugar was arrested and claims troopers broke his wrist after failing to realize his condition. Troopers did not retrieve the juice the man requested from his van, and about 38 minutes passed before he received medical care. The troopers later said they were not trained to recognize diabetic shock.

RESPONSE: The Attorney General's Office and State Police declined comment on the case, the troopers' actions or their training because of the ongoing litigation. The Assembly speaker called for more awareness of diabetes and other lawmakers said they planned to investigate how to improve police training. A bill was later advanced by an Assembly committee that would allow diabetics to note their condition on driver's licenses to avoid similar incidents in the future.

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DISCLOSED: A trooper was charged with simple assault and threatening a police officer by Sea Isle City police after allegedly punching a man in the eye near an area bar.

RESPONSE: The State Police said the trooper was suspended without pay pending the outcome of an internal investigation and criminal prosecution.

DECEMBER

DISCLOSED: A criminal charge of assault by auto against State Police Detective Sgt. William Billingham, who seriously injured a Philadelphia man in a car accident three years ago, might be dismissed because prosecutors allege fellow troopers "ignored the obvious evidence" he had been drinking and never tested him for intoxication when they responded to the scene.

RESPONSE: The state Attorney General's Office was awaiting the decision of an appellate court judge, who will decide if the state can introduce medical evidence it obtained months after the accident showing Billingham's blood-alcohol level was more than three times the legal limit. A lower court judge had previously ruled against the state and tossed the evidence.

Source: State Attorney General's Office; State Police; court documents

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