Fort Lee Police Department
Encyclopedia
Introduction
The Fort Lee Police Department was originally formed by ordinance on August 9, 1904. During this time the council appointed six marshalls. However the department was not formally established until October 5, 1927. During this time another ordinance was enacted to equip, organized and control the department. The first Police Chief was Andrew McDermott. He served the department for thirty-nine years. Council members, Peter Cella, John Mallon and John Reardon manned the police committee. Fort Lee is located in the south-eastern part of Bergen County, New JerseyBergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
, and is also the home of the George Washington Bridge
George Washington Bridge
The George Washington Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Hudson River, connecting the Washington Heights neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City to Fort Lee, Bergen County, New Jersey. Interstate 95 and U.S. Route 1/9 cross the river via the bridge. U.S...
.
The Fort Lee Police Department has been headed by Chief Thomas O. Ripoli since July 14, 2004.
The main divisions of the department are the Patrol Division, Detective Bureau and the Traffic Division. The current table of organization calls for 112 sworn officers.
Officers Killed in the Line of Duty
Since the department’s beginning in 1904, only two Fort Lee Police Officers have been killed in the line of duty:Police Officer William T. Birch was gunned down while responding to a hold up alarm at the Riviera Motel on Route 4 on September 4, 1966. James Beldon who shot and killed Officer Birch was originally sentenced to death in 1967, but that sentence was commuted to life in prison in 1972. A mere ten years after having his death penalty commuted to life in prison, Beldon was paroled and a free man in 1982. In 2005 at the age of 79, Beldon was arrested for attempting to sell an illegal handgun in Massachusetts while bragging he had killed a New Jersey police officer and had gotten away with it. He was returned to prison in New Jersey for violation of his parole. Beldon died in prison 2 years later at the age of 81. In 2007 a Yellow Labrador K-9 Birch was added to the Fort Lee Police Department to honor the memory of William T. Birch. On June 6, 2009 the Borough of Fort Lee renamed Federspiel Street to William T. Birch Way in his honor. The location was fitting as it was in the same neighborhood that William Birch had lived in.
Police Officer Kevin R. Greener was killed in a motorcycle accident on August 9, 1999 while traveling to a patrol tactics class he was teaching. Officer Greener was formerly a sergeant with the Essex County Police Department, but left when the department was disbanded. Officer Greener also worked for the West Caldwell Police Department for two years, prior to settling down with the Fort Lee Police Department in 1993. Aside from being a defensive tactics instructor for the department, Officer Greener was also a member of the department's Emergency Services Unit. In August 2008, a German Shepherd K-9 Greener was added to the Fort Lee Police Department to honor the memory of Officer Kevin Greener. Within his first month on patrol, K-9 Greener had already assisted Fort Lee Police officers in making two large narcotics arrests.
Fort Lee Police Memorial Square
On September 12, 2009 the Fort Lee Police Department dedicated the Fort Lee Police Memorial Square. This is a memorial dedicated to all Fort Lee police officers. The Mayor and Council of Fort Lee donated the land on which to build the memorial, and the rest of the funds were acquired in the form of donations. The park is located on the north end of Abbott Boulevard, in an area where many local residents walk. The project to build the memorial was spearheaded by Chief Thomas Ripoli and Officer Mark Finocchiaro. The memorial was built by workers from the borough's Department of Public Works. Fort Lee PBA President Detective Kevin Kosuda stated "For every officer, they have a story and it's our duty to remember the officers that served in the line of duty."Motorcycle Unit
Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson , often abbreviated H-D or Harley, is an American motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, during the first decade of the 20th century, it was one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depression...
motorcycles, and are required to undergo and pass rigorous the training of the Maryland State Police
Maryland State Police
The Maryland State Police is the official state police force of the state of Maryland. The Maryland State Police is headquartered at 1201 Reisterstown Road in the Pikesville CDP in unincorporated Baltimore County.-Organizational structure:...
Motorcycle Unit. On June 28, 2009 three Fort Lee police officers earned awards in the Law Enforcement Motorcycle Skills Competition to benefit Special Olympics New Jersey that was held in Lyndhurst, NJ. Officer Kevin Mahon won first place in the Slow Ride competition, while Officer George Koutroubinis and Sergeant Scott Bendul took first and second place respectively in Challenge Ride competition. The motor officers from the motorcycle unit participate annually in the Andiamo Run, which is a local charity motorcycle run to raise money for area hospitals. On September 12, 2010 it was stated "The Fort Lee police dazzled attendees with a remarkable display of motorcycle tricks and expertise." On June 26, 2011 three Fort Lee police officers again earned awards in the Law Enforcement Motorcycle Skills Competition to benefit Special Olympics New Jersey. Officer Rick Hernandez took second place in the Novice Division, Officer George Koutroubinis took second place in the Expert Division and first place in the Challenge Ride and Lt. Scott Bendul took second place in both the Master Division and Slow Ride.
Emergency Services Unit (ESU)
Heckler & Koch UMP
The UMP is a submachine gun developed and manufactured by Heckler & Koch. The UMP has been adopted by various agencies such as the U.S. Customs and Border Protection...
and the & Wesson 4566TSW.
Past Events of Interest
- On October 6, 1951 the body of Fort Lee Police Chief Fred Stengel was found dead from an apparent suicide. Stengel had been awaiting trial on charges of protecting gambling joints for the Underworld Czar Joe AdonisJoe AdonisJoe Adonis , also known as "Joey A", "Joe Adone", "Joe Arosa", "James Arosa", and "Joe DiMeo", was a New York mobster who was an important participant in the formation of the modern Cosa Nostra crime families.-Early years:Adonis was born Giuseppe Antonio Doto in the small town of Montemarano,...
. Stengel shot himself in the head with his service revolver. Big time gambler Willie MorettiWillie MorettiGuarino "Willie" Moretti was an underboss of the Genovese crime family and a cousin of family boss Frank Costello.-Life:...
was gunned down a few days earlier in nearby Cliffside Park, NJ. Moretti was "rubbed out" for talking too much, as he was expected to testify soon in Stengel's trial. - On January 26, 1989 Fort Lee police officers arrested John Martini and Therese Afdahl for the kidnapping and murder of Irving Flax. Flax had been kidnapped by Martini and Afdahl three days earlier, and had already received $25,000 in ransom money from Flax's wife Marilyn. The ransom money was dropped at the Forum Diner in Paramus, NJ where Martini retrieved it. With the FBI on his tail, Martini was able to lose them in traffic as he made his way towards the Bronx, NY. On January 24, 1989 the dead body of Irving Flax was discovered inside the trunk of his car by a security guard at a mall parking lot in Paramus, NJ. Two days later Fort Lee police officers saw Martini and Afdahl exiting a motel in Fort Lee attempting to leave by taxi. Martini and Afdahl were placed under arrest, and a search found that they were in possession of $23,760 in US currency with serial numbers matching those recorded by the FBI prior to the ransom drop. After being found guilty of murder and kidnapping charges, Martini was sentenced to death and was originally scheduled for execution on September 22, 1999. Martini was sentenced to serve five life sentences at the New Jersey State PrisonNew Jersey State PrisonThe New Jersey State Prison , formerly known as Trenton State Prison, is a state prison in Trenton, New Jersey operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. It accommodated over 1,900 prisoners as of January, 2005....
in Trenton, NJ and was not eligible for parole. Martini died in New Jersey State PrisonNew Jersey State PrisonThe New Jersey State Prison , formerly known as Trenton State Prison, is a state prison in Trenton, New Jersey operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. It accommodated over 1,900 prisoners as of January, 2005....
on September 9, 2009 at the age of 79. Afdahl is currently serving two concurrent 30 year sentences at the Edna Mahon Correctional Facility for women in Clinton, NJ. She will be eligible for parole on January 24, 2019. - On November 29, 1992 Fort Lee police officers Thomas Provenzano and Howard Ginsburg initiated a motor vehicle pursuit that lasted for over 50 minutes in duration and travelled over 60 miles in length. The pursuit started when two Newark men driving a car reported stolen at Newark Airport attempted to run over the two Fort Lee police officers who pulled them over. The pursuit ended in North Arlington, NJ and both suspects were apprehended. The pursuit which had as many as 20 officers involved at times, reached speeds of 80 miles per hour ended in a collision with one of the suspects being shot. This caused the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office to review the chase to see if officers followed state guidelines. In January 1993 the New Jersey Attorney General revised the New Jersey Police Vehicular Pursuit Policy.
- On June 26, 1998 the New Jersey State Supreme Court ruled in State v. Citarella (A-93-97) that a police officer can use his prior knowledge of a person's criminal history in conjunction with the officer's own training and experience to justify an investigatory stop. On August 31, 1992 a plain clothes Fort Lee police officer observed Citarella engaging in suspicious behavior. The officer had arrested Citarella in the past, and was aware of Citarella's 28 prior arrests. The officer conducted a stop of Citarella based on the current suspicious behavior and prior knowledge of Citarella. Citarella was charged with and convicted of possession of cocaine in Bergen County Superior Court. Citarella had his conviction overturned by the Appellate Court, as they ruled that the officer did not have sufficient reason to stop Citarella. The New Jersey State Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Appellate Court's decision and reinstated Citarella's conviction.
- On June 28, 1999 Fort Lee police officers along with Teaneck police officers executed a search warrant of the home of Earl Simmons aka DMX (rapper)DMX (rapper)Earl Simmons , better known by his stage name DMX, is a multiplatinum American rapper and actor who rose to fame in the late 1990s. His stage name pays tribute to the Oberheim DMX drum machine, an instrument he used when he made his own rap beats in the 80's...
. The search uncovered a Tec-9 semiautomatic handgun, hollow-point bullets, large-capacity magazines and a bulletproof vest. Simmons was not at home during the search, but surrendered himself two days later and was released on $50,000 bail. The search was spurned when two days earlier Simmons' uncle and manager Ray Copeland was shot in the Hilton Hotel in Fort Lee, NJ. - On March 2, 2004 David TyreeDavid TyreeDavid Mikel Tyree is a retired American football wide receiver and special teams player. He was drafted by the New York Giants in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Syracuse University. Tyree has also played for the Baltimore Ravens...
of the New York GiantsNew York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football team was stopped for speeding by a Fort Lee police officer. Subsequently the officer discovered that Tyree was wanted on an outstanding traffic warrant, which led to Tyree and two passengers in his vehicle being arrested for possession of one half pound of marijuana. - On December 27, 2007 Roosevelt Withers was arrested by Fort Lee Police Officers for the murder of Frank DeSimone Jr., who is a relative of the Lucchese crime familyLucchese crime familyThe Lucchese crime family is one of the "Five Families" that dominates organized crime activities in New York City, United States, within the nationwide criminal phenomenon known as the Mafia . The family originated in the early 1920s with Gaetano "Tommy" Reina serving as boss up until his murder...
associate Thomas DeSimoneThomas DeSimoneThomas "Two-Gun Tommy" Anthony DeSimone was an Italian-American gangster and associate of the Lucchese crime family in New York. Also known as "Tommy D" or "Tommy Two-Guns", he was a grandson and nephew of Los Angeles mob bosses Rosario DeSimone and Frank DeSimone...
, who was made famous when he was portrayed by Joe PesciJoe PesciJoseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
in the movie GoodfellasGoodfellasGoodfellas is a 1990 American crime film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is a film adaptation of the 1986 non-fiction book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Scorsese...
. Minutes before his arrest, Withers had shot DeSimone in the head as DeSimone was sitting behind the wheel of his Cadillac EscaladeCadillac EscaladeThe Cadillac Escalade is a full-size luxury sport utility vehicle sold by the General Motors luxury brand, Cadillac. It was the division's first major entry into the popular SUV market. The Escalade was introduced for the 1999 model year in response to German and Japanese competitors and to Ford's...
outside of his apartment in Hackensack, NJ. The Hackensack Police broadcast Withers' description to area departments, and Withers was apprehended by Fort Lee Police officers after a brief vehicle and foot pursuit near the entrance of the George Washington Bridge. Roosevelt Withers and some accomplices were involved in a robbery spree on January 15, 1993 in New York City that resulted in three NYPD officers being shot: Police Officers Ralph Vitacco, John Morris and Richard Aviles. None of the officers were killed in the gunfire exchange. Withers spent less than 14 years in the New York State prison system for the robberies and shootings of 3 NYPD police officers before being paroled on March 16, 2007. Roosevelt Withers was detained in the Bergen County JailBergen County JailBergen County Jail is a facility operated by the Bergen County Sheriff's Office located on 160 South River Street in Hackensack, New Jersey. The jail provides a detention for both sentenced and unsentenced prisoners from minimum to maximum security environment...
in lieu of $2,000,000 bail while awaiting trial.On May 3, 2011 Superior Court Judge Liliana DeAvila-Silebi sentenced Withers to serve 27 years in prison for the murder of Frank DeSimone, Jr. Roosevelt Withers will not be eligible for parole until December 7, 2030; and must serve the full 27 year sentence upon his conviction of Aggravated Manslaughter. Withers is serving his sentence at the New Jersey State PrisonNew Jersey State PrisonThe New Jersey State Prison , formerly known as Trenton State Prison, is a state prison in Trenton, New Jersey operated by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. It accommodated over 1,900 prisoners as of January, 2005....
in Trenton, NJ. - On January 17, 2008 Fort Lee Police officers arrested Armen Hovsepian and his father Gagik Hovsepian for the 2007 death of Jason Ray. Jason Ray was the mascot for the University of North CarolinaUniversity of North CarolinaChartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
Tar Heels basketball team, and was staying at a hotel in Fort Lee for the NCAA tournament. On March 23, 2007 Jason Ray was walking along Route 4 returning to his hotel when he was struck by a vehicle reportedly driven by Gagik Hovsepian. Jason Ray was transported to Hackensack University Medical CenterHackensack University Medical CenterHackensack University Medical Center is a 775-bed non-profit, research and teaching hospital located seven miles west of New York City, in Hackensack, New Jersey, providing tertiary and healthcare needs for northern New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area...
where he was later pronounced dead. The Fort Lee Police Department investigated the collision at the scene, and initially it appeared to be accidental. A witness later came forth stating that Armen Hovsepian was driving the vehicle, not Gagik Hovsepian as was originally reported to the Fort Lee Police. After a thorough investigation that confirmed the witness's statement, Gagik Hovsepian was charged with hindering apprehension, obstructing the administration of law and making a false statement under oath and is facing up to 18 moths in prison. Armen Hovsepian was charged with one count of driving while suspended in a fatal motor vehicle accident and hindering apprehension and is facing up to five years in prison. Jason Ray was an organ donor which resulted in saving the lives of four New Jersey men. Over 25 other people have received tissue from Jason Ray, and it is expected that up to 50 to 70 more people still may be helped by Jason Ray's generosity. The New Jersey Sharing Network would annually give an award to an individual who helps to raise organ donor awareness. The award has since been renamed The Ray of Hope. Jason's parents Emmitt and Charlotte were featured on the Oprah WinfreyOprah WinfreyOprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
show telling the story of how Jason had touched so many lives with his gift of being an organ donor. - On February 10, 2009 Officer Dennis Pothos of the Fort Lee Police Department stopped a car being driven by Darnell Brittingham, also known by his rap alias King Tut. Brittingham was accompanied by his promoter Brandon Buckley. Officer Pothos smelled marijuana emanating from the vehicle, which prompted a search of the vehicle. The search uncovered cocaine, marijuana, a digital scale and small plastic bags. Both Brittingham and Buckley were arrested and charged with Possession with Intent to Manufacture/Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance. Brittingham was being held in the Bergen County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail, while Buckley was being held there in lieu of $15,000 bail. Brittingham aka King Tut is an unsigned artist who is affiliated with the rap entourage 730 Dips, who are a subset of the Harlem-based group known as The DiplomatsThe DiplomatsThe Diplomats, also popularly known as Dipset, are a Harlem-based hip hop group founded by Cam'ron and Jim Jones in 1997. The original members of the group were Cam'ron, Freekey Zekey, and Jim Jones ; who all grew up together in Harlem...
or Dipset. After he was released from the Bergen County JailBergen County JailBergen County Jail is a facility operated by the Bergen County Sheriff's Office located on 160 South River Street in Hackensack, New Jersey. The jail provides a detention for both sentenced and unsentenced prisoners from minimum to maximum security environment...
, on February 12 Brittingham allegedly stabbed his girlfriend seven times in a Hackensack apartment. Brittingham fled the scene making him a fugitive. His girlfriend survived the attack, and Brittingham was wanted on charges of Aggravated Assault by the Hackensack Police Department. Brittingham had vowed not to be taken alive by the police. On March 17 as police in Greenburgh, NY were closing in on Brittingham in the rear seat of a taxi cab, Brittingham shot himself in the head instantly killing himself. The Hackensack Police Department did confirm that Brittingham's charges were going to be upgraded to Attempted Murder. - On January 17, 2011 the Fort Lee Police Department changed its standard patrol uniform. The uniform that it replaced had been in use without a major change since 1973. The new uniforms are more practical and durable. The new uniform design was created by police officer Nick Orta, and was implemented by Chief Thomas O. Ripoli. The new uniforms were part of a new line of tactical wear from 5.11, and the Fort Lee Police Department became the first police department to officially use them.