Three grievances have been filed against the Plainsboro Township police department concerning incidents that the PBA believes stem from an altercation between committee member Edmund Yates and officers who responded to a noise complaint concerning a party held at his house on Saturday, August 19.
John Molnar, president of PBA Local 319, filed grievances on September 12, 13, and 29th for separate incidents that he claims occurred in retaliation for the filing of a complaint against Yates. The police report on the incident claimed Yates told Officer Brett Olma he would call Cliff Maurer, director of the police department, about the disagreement he had with Olma over the enforcement of the town’s noise ordinance.
The PBA claims that the township’s administration took action against Sergeant Richard Furda, whom Olma called to the scene as a result of the disagreement. Furda, who authorized issuance of the complaint, has been the recipient of tuition reimbursement from the township for pursuit of his doctorate degree since 2001. On Friday, September 8, Furda was reportedly informed that his reimbursement request would no longer be honored.
“PBA 319 believes the denial of reimbursement to be an act of retaliation by the township due to Sergeant Furda’s order that a summons be issued to a committee member,” reads the grievance. A letter sent with copies of the grievances, mailed in an envelope return-addressed to the Plainsboro Township Police Department, reads, “After several weeks the township did finally complete the reimbursement.”
The September 13 grievance says Plainsboro police officers have been ordered to deliver correspondence to Plainsboro Township Committee members. “The township is requiring that taxpayer money be used in the form of having their police officers deliver mail to township committee members who live in town,” wrote Molnar, “There is no viable explanation for having to deliver this mail. There is no security issue which requires police involvement.”
The grievance asked that police officers no longer be required to perform “this out of title assignment.”
The assignment apparently had not been relieved by September 29. The third grievance claims that Corporal Nick Procaccini was disciplined for “failure to ensure that the township committee packets were delivered to committee members’ residences.”
The only packet that was not delivered was the one addressed to Yates. Three other officers were also in supervisory roles when the packets were ordered to be delivered, but received no disciplinary action. “The department has obviously singled out Procaccini due to his position as PBA president at that time. There is no other reason as to why three supervisors have the same responsibility yet only one is singled out,” wrote Molnar.
The News’ original report on the incident, at Yates’ house (printed in the News on August 25) came after a copy of the complaint and accompanying police report was sent in an envelope with no return address. It was not clear whether it was sent by the police department, a lone officer, or the PBA.
Calls to Cliff Maurer and Captain Elizabeth Bondurant were not returned before press time. Mayor Peter Cantu’s office said the matter may come before the Township Committee in the future, and as a result he could not comment.
