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'''Gerald Speziale,''' commonly known as '''Jerry Speziale,''' is an American [[law enforcement]] officer and Director of the [[Paterson, New Jersey]] police department.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patersonpd.com/about/paterson-police-director-jerry-speziale.html|title=Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale|work=patersonpd.com}}</ref> A former member of the [[New York City Police Department]], Speziale has also served as the [[Sheriff]] of [[Passaic County, New Jersey]], as Deputy Police Superintendent - Assistant Director of Public Safety for the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department]],<ref name="NJ">{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/081010_Passaic_County_Sheriff_Speziale_resigns.html |title=Passaic County Sheriff Speziale resigns, accepts Port Authority post |publisher=NorthJersey.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-23}}</ref> and as Chief of Police for the City of [[Prichard, Alabama]]. He has worked as an undercover officer in the [[United States]] [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA), and for the [[New York]] Drug Enforcement Task Force while in the NYPD.
'''Gerald Speziale,''' commonly known as '''Jerry Speziale,''' is an American [[law enforcement]] officer and Commissioner of the [[Paterson, New Jersey]] police department.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.patersonpd.com/about/paterson-police-director-jerry-speziale.html|title=Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale|work=patersonpd.com}}</ref> A former member of the [[New York City Police Department]], Speziale has also served as the [[Sheriff]] of [[Passaic County, New Jersey]], as Deputy Police Superintendent - Assistant Director of Public Safety for the [[Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department]],<ref name="NJ">{{cite web|url=http://www.northjersey.com/news/081010_Passaic_County_Sheriff_Speziale_resigns.html |title=Passaic County Sheriff Speziale resigns, accepts Port Authority post |publisher=NorthJersey.com |date= |accessdate=2011-11-23}}</ref> and as Chief of Police for the City of [[Prichard, Alabama]]. He has worked as an undercover officer in the [[United States]] [[Drug Enforcement Administration]] (DEA), and for the [[New York]] Drug Enforcement Task Force while in the NYPD.


In 2010, Speziale's decision to abandon a campaign for re-election as Sheriff in Passaic County and accept a high-profile job at the Port Authority was the focus of considerable controversy, and prompted allegations that the appointment was politically motivated. He later sued the Port Authority, alleging that port authority officials had retaliated against him for exposing corrupt practices and wasteful spending.
In 2010, Speziale's decision to abandon a campaign for re-election as Sheriff in Passaic County and accept a high-profile job at the Port Authority was the focus of considerable controversy, and prompted allegations that the appointment was politically motivated. He later sued the Port Authority, alleging that port authority officials had retaliated against him for exposing corrupt practices and wasteful spending.

Revision as of 22:29, 8 August 2015

Gerald Speziale, commonly known as Jerry Speziale, is an American law enforcement officer and Commissioner of the Paterson, New Jersey police department.[1] A former member of the New York City Police Department, Speziale has also served as the Sheriff of Passaic County, New Jersey, as Deputy Police Superintendent - Assistant Director of Public Safety for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department,[2] and as Chief of Police for the City of Prichard, Alabama. He has worked as an undercover officer in the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and for the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force while in the NYPD.

In 2010, Speziale's decision to abandon a campaign for re-election as Sheriff in Passaic County and accept a high-profile job at the Port Authority was the focus of considerable controversy, and prompted allegations that the appointment was politically motivated. He later sued the Port Authority, alleging that port authority officials had retaliated against him for exposing corrupt practices and wasteful spending.

Speziale has been described as a "flamboyant, controversial figure"[3][4] and as having a "flair for publicity."[5][6][7] He has published a autobiography about his experiences, Without A Badge: Undercover in the World's Deadliest Criminal Organization, and has been featured on the reality TV series Cops. He had a three acting roles along side Richard Gere and also was a "police consultant" for the 2010 film Brooklyn's Finest.

Personal life and education

Speziale was born in the City of Paterson, New Jersey to Gerardo Speziale, a barber and Barbara Speziale, a paralegal.[4] He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey.[8]

Speziale graduated from Wayne Hills High School in 1978.[4] In 2003 he attended a non-degree course in command officer development at the Southern Police Institute of the University of Louisville. In 2006 he attended a non-degree program for senior executives in state and local government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. In 2007 he graduated from the FBI Law Enforcement Executive Development Seminar. In 2008 he graduated from Caldwell College with a B.A. cum laude in Criminal Justice. In 2010 he received a Masters of Administrative Science (M.A.S.) degree from Fairleigh Dickinson University.[citation needed]

Law enforcement career

Speziale began his law enforcement career with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in 1983, working foot patrol in the South Bronx. In 1986, he was shot in the arm during a shootout with an addict who had taken hostages.[9] Speziale later worked as a detective on the narcotics squad, and befriended future NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik.[4][8][10] During the 1990s, he became an undercover agent for the DEA, and was a member of the DEA's "Group 93," which was tasked with fighting Columbian Drug Cartels.[10][11] While undercover in Colombia, Speziale assumed a fake identify as "Geraldo Bartone," a drug kingpin, learning to fly a plane, sail a yacht, speak Spanish.[4] Having reached the rank of first-grade detective, Speziale retired from the NYPD on a disability pension in 1997, citing injuries. He returned to police work at the Bergen County Sheriff's Department, and served as the Chief of Police for New Hope, Pennsylvania in 2000, before running for Sheriff of Passaic County in the November, 2001 elections.[8][12][13]

Passaic County Sheriff

In November 2001, Speziale was elected 8th Sheriff of Passaic County, New Jersey.[8] Although he had campaigned for republican candidates in 1999, Speziale ran as a democrat, and replaced republican Edwin Englehardt, who had served as Sheriff for 27 years.[4]

In August 2002, a federal law enforcement official told the New York Times that Speziale of had "destroyed" an FBI investigation into a man who was believed to have sold false identification to the September 11 hijackers. According to the unnamed official, the Passaic police department's raid on the suspects fake document mill was "a shameful media grab at the expense of a federal investigation that was not complete." Federal officials were upset that Speziale did not inform the FBI about the raid, had publicly released details of the FBI's investigation, and had invited reporters to accompany police on the raid.[14] Shortly after the Passaic Sheriff's department's failed attempt to arrest the suspect - who had been out of the country at the time of the raid - New Jersey's Attorney General ordered all local law enforcement authorities to get permission from a special liaison before seeking terrorism-related search warrants.[15] The incident reportedly led to a "deep chill" in relations between the US Attorney's office and Speziale's staff. Until the raid, the Sheriff's department and the FBI had been investigating jointly.[16]

Speziale was vindicated in the arrest of El Atriss and Chris Christie was criticized as the former United States Attorney who once threatened a NJ Sheriff, being Speziale because, Speziale learned where (2) of the 9/11 Hijackers received their fake IDs and arrested them. Testimony at a secret hearing suggested that El-Atriss may have been in contact with another senior hijacker in addition to the ones to whom he sold the IDs. Fred Ernst, a detective with the Passiac, New Jersey, sheriff's department who investigated El-Atriss, said under oath: "The FBI... provided information that indicates... (9/11 hijacker) Hani Hanjour, had contacted All Services Plus prior to the events of September 11th. But in testimony at the bail hearing, Passaic County Sheriff Detective Ernst indicated that the U.S. attorney's office in Newark had been openly hostile to the sheriff's investigation. In fact, on the day Ernst and fellow detectives had obtained search warrants and were planning to raid El-Atriss's home and business, Christopher Christie, the Newark U.S. Attorney telephoned Ernst's boss, Passiac County sheriff Jerry Speziale, and threatened that if he held a press conference attendant to the raids, he "would be arrested and the U.S. Attorney would...shut down the Sheriff's department." This was another attempt by the Feds to cover up an earlier embarrassment—their failure to connect the dots on Sphinx Trading and thus uncover the hijackers.[17]

Speziale faced several other controversies during his tenure as Sheriff. He was ordered by a federal judge to clean up squalid conditions in the county jail, and to reduce the number of state and federal prisoners that the county had accepted in order to increase revenue. Speziale also came into conflict with county freeholders and the state Civil Service Commission over the number of patronage appointments that he was allowed to make as Sheriff. The dispute centered on whether supervisors should count as sheriff's officers when calculating the number of "at-will" investigators the Sheriff could hire. Initially, the state civil service commission and county freeholders accused Speziale of exceeding his budget by making an excessive number of patronage appointments, ordering him to fire eight investigators who had been hired in addition to the 20 "at-will" officers already added to the force.[8][18] According to the Bergen Record, several of the newly hired officers had made financial contributions to Speziale's reelection campaign, or were relatives of Sheriff's officers.[18][19]

In March 2011, Speziale was again vindicated when the New Jersey Civil Service Commission changed its stance, ruling that supervisors should count as sheriff's officers, and that Speziale had been within his rights to when he hired the eight additional officers. By that time, Speziale had already left the Sheriff's office and the number of staff had been reduced.[20]

Despite these controversies, Speziale remained popular, and was reelected Sheriff in 2004 and 2007 by record margins in Passaic County election history.[21]

On August 10, 2010, Speziale resigned in order to accept a $199,000 post as Deputy Superintendent of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey police.[3][6][22][23][24] Speziale cited family reasons, and his wife's ill health, in particular, as his reason for resigning and abandoning his re-election campaign.[8] Speziale's resignation caught his colleagues and many of his close friends by surprise, particularly since he was in the midst of a re-election campaign.[6] According to Bergen Record reporter Alfred Doblin, Speziale's decision to resign so suddenly, and during a campaign, was "a slap in the face to political allies and donors," and his decision to distribute the $1 million in campaign funds that Speziale had already raised to charity - rather than to other Democratic candidates - added "insult to injury."[6][7] Republican Assemblyman Scott Rumana told reporters that he had helped to arrange Speziale's new job, in conjunction with the office of New Jersey's republican governor, Chris Christie.[25] In response, the Passaic County freeholder board's democratic majority attempted to call for a criminal investigation, but were unsuccessful because Speziale applied for the Port Authority position years prior under Democratic Governor Jon Corzine.[23][25][26] Several years later, the Bergen Record reported that "nothing ever came" of the request for an investigation.[27] Controversy over the appointment resurfaced in June 2015, however, when former Port Authority official David Wildstein - a key figure in the Fort Lee lane closure scandal - alleged in a sworn statement that Christie had arranged for the Port Authority to hire Speziale in order to take both him and his campaign funds out of the race.[22][23][28][29]

A week after Speziale's resignation, an investigation started earlier by Speziale and his internal affairs unit led investigators with the New Jersey department of criminal justice to search the offices and shop of the Passaic County Sheriff's Department motor pool. The New York Times reported that the search was part of an investigation into allegations that the motor pool had repaired vehicles that were friends of the motor pool director.[3] As a result of the search, the director of the motor pool, Paolo Mariano, was charged and found guilty stealing $100, 000 of drug money that had been found in a vehicle, and with stealing a vehicle engine from the motor pool.[30][31][32][33]

NY-NJ Port Authority Police Department

In 2010, Speziale was appointed to the role of Deputy Police Superintendent of the NY - NJ Port Authority Police Department.[34]

In May 2014, Speziale sued the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey in federal court, alleging that the Port Authority had retaliated against him after he uncovered wasteful spending by the authority. In the suit, Speziale claimed that the port authority had confiscated his work vehicle, denied him security credentials for Port Authority facilities, denied him medical leave benefits, and subjected him to "daily harassment, intimidation, and demeaning conduct" after he reported misspending to his superiors.[35][36][37] The lawsuit is ongoing as of June 2015, when a sworn statement by one of the defendants, former port authority David Wildstein, was made public. The statement contained allegations that New Jersey Governor Chris Christie had been directly involved in the decision to hire Speziale, and suggested that the hiring had been politically motivated.[23]

Prichard, Alabama police

After becoming a semi finalist in unsuccessfully seeking a position as police chief in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Miami, and Cincinnati,[27] Speziale accepted a post as the police chief of Prichard, Alabama in October, 2013. His salary was reported to be a fraction of what he had been paid by the Port Authority, $95,000 per year.[27] According to the Bergen Record, Speziale continued to exhibit a "flair for publicity" as police chief in Prichard. The reality TV show Cops, which had had a relationship with Speziale in Passaic County, filmed a segment in Prichard shortly after Speziale's arrival.[5][38] Local media reported that Speziale was known as a "force on the streets" in Prichard, who was known for participating in raids and investigations alongside officers.[39]

Speziale was forced to resign as chief of the Prichard police after nine months in the post, citing his need to return to New Jersey to be with his children after the recent death of his wife. His departure surprised Prichard officials, and the city's mayor told reporters that he learned of Speziale's decision by seeing it in the news.[5][39][40][41]

Paterson, New Jersey police

In July 2014, Paterson, New Jersey mayor Jose Torres appointed Speziale as Paterson's new police director - a part-time position - as one of his first acts upon assuming office.[40][42] According to the Paterson Press, Speziale had endorsed Torres during the mayoral race and contributed to his election fund. The Press also reported Speziale still had more than $500,000 in his New Jersey campaign account.[42] As he assumed his new position in Paterson, Speziale claimed that he had reduced crime by "159 percent" during his nine months as police chief in Prichard. Local community groups in Prichard disputed this statement. A City of Prichard spokesman noted that reducing crime by 159 percent was "statistically impossible," while also suggesting that Speziale had made a significant difference as chief, using a federal grant to add 10 police officers and revitalizing a dormant street crime unit.[5] Speziale was praised by Mayor Troy Ephriam in a June 2015 letter to Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres where the Prichard Mayor requested Speziale to travel to Alabama to provide valued consultation for the City of Prichard because of his superb policing strategies and positive impact on the city's crime.[43]

Speziale's compensation became the subject of controversy in Paterson in March 2015, when city councillors learned that the mayor was paying him a full-time salary, despite the fact that he had been hired for a part-time position. Councillors praised Speziale's performance as director and acknowledged that he had been working more than 20 hours a week, but complained that the mayor did not have authorization to pay the police director more than a part-time salary. Councillors signaled their intention to pass a resolution making Speziale's position a full-time one, and the council's public safety chairman, Mohammed Akhtaruzzaman, commented that "If anybody deserves the money, it's Jerry Speziale."[44][45][46] Paterson officials and community leaders have credited Speziale's outreach community groups and residents for the development of a more cooperative relationship between police and citizens Paterson, which has a high crime rate.[47]

In 2015, New Jersey State Police reported an 18.8 percent reduction in crime under Speziale's leadership. The number of violent crimes reported in Paterson dropped by 18.8 percent during the first six months of 2015, compared to the same time period for 2014. New Jersey's Uniform Crime Report showed that other urban areas in New Jersey also experienced a decline in violent crime during the first half of the year. But Paterson had a higher percentage reduction than almost every other city, according to the report. Elizabeth, for example, had a four-percent drop, Trenton 11.1 percent and Camden 12.2 percent. Numbers were not available for Newark and Jersey City.[48]

Teaching and expert testimony

Speziale has served[when?] as an Adjunct Professor for Fairleigh Dickinson, teaching leadership and criminal justice.[49] He has been called an expert on cell phone and wiretapping technology, and has lectured at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virgina.[50]

On May 15, 2000, Jerry Speziale testified before the United States House of Representatives Commission on Banking and Financial Services on the subject of money laundering and bulk cash smuggling in the United States.[51]

Writing and acting career

In 2003, Jerry Speziale released a book which he co-authored with journalist Mark Seal, titled Without A Badge: Undercover in the World's Deadliest Criminal Organization, about his experiences working undercover in Colombia.[4]

In 2010, Speziale played the role of Captain Sidney Geraci in the Hollywood film "Brooklyn's Finest," directed by Antoine Fuqua. The film chronicled the struggles of officers patrolling a dangerous section of Brooklyn, similar to the area Speziale worked in his early days as an NYPD officer in east New York.[52] In addition to his minor role in the film, Speziale also received a credit as the film's "Police Consultant."[53] David Permut of Permut Presentations and Christie Hsiao of Serenity Entertainment have picked up the rights to "Without a Badge."[54]

References

  1. ^ "Paterson Police Director Jerry Speziale". patersonpd.com.
  2. ^ "Passaic County Sheriff Speziale resigns, accepts Port Authority post". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  3. ^ a b c William K. Rashbaumaug, Into Ex -Sheriff's Motor Pool, New York Times, August 19, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Jonathan Miller, "THE LAW; Passaic Sheriff Rides High On Attention", New York Times, February 9, 2003
  5. ^ a b c d Abbott Koloff, "Old Job Has Sway on Police Director," The Record (Bergen County, N.J.), 18 Aug 2014: A.1
  6. ^ a b c d Patricia Alex. "Former sheriff Jerry Speziale is a no-show at motorcycle run named for him". NorthJersey.com.
  7. ^ a b Alfred P. Doblin, "Steven Slater has nothing on Jerry Speziale",The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) 13 Aug 2010: A.19.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Richard Cowen, Jennifer Cunningham, and Andrea Alexander. "Passaic County Sheriff Speziale resigns, accepts Port Authority post". NorthJersey.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. ^ Todd S. Purdump. 2 Dead and 4 Hurt Including 3 Officers in a Bronx Shootout, New York Times, February 26, 1986.
  10. ^ a b "Man tapped as Prichard's chief of police has lauded, controversial career - LagniappeLagniappe". Lagniappe.
  11. ^ McNary, Dave (2010-02-23). "Project's based on true story of undercover New Jersey cop". Variety.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  12. ^ "Speziale Steps Down As New Hope's Police Chief". philly-archives.
  13. ^ "Kerik pal getting a top PA-cop post". New York Post.
  14. ^ Robert Hanley, U.S. Official Says Passaic Sheriff Damaged a Federal Inquiry, New York Times, August 2, 2002.
  15. ^ Richard Lezin, Police Must Get Authorization In New Jersey Terrorism Cases, New York Times, August 9, 2002.
  16. ^ Robert Hanely and Jonathan Miller, 4 Transcripts Are Released In Case Tied to 9/11 Hijackers, New York Times, 25 June 2003.
  17. ^ Peter Lance, Christie's Hypocrisy in the GOP Debate: How the Former U.S. Atty. Once threatened a NJ Sheriff Who Learned Where Two 9/11 Hijackers Got Their Fake IDs, Huffington Post, 7 August 2015.
  18. ^ a b Richard Cowen. "Passaic County sheriff vows to fight state on patronage power". NorthJersey.com.
  19. ^ "Passaic County sheriff ordered to fire eight patronage appointments". NJ.com.
  20. ^ http://www.northjersey.com/news/ex-sheriff-wins-battle-on-hiring-of-investigators-1.1170740. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ^ "Passaic County sheriff has raised over $1M in reelection bid". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved 2010-06-20.
  22. ^ a b "Wildstein claims Christie broke law by revealing grand jury information, report says". NJ.com.
  23. ^ a b c d Kate Zernike, "Ex-Official Says Chris Christie Broke Grand Jury Law", New York Times, June 7, 2015.
  24. ^ Richard Cowen. "With Speziale gone, acting sheriff looks to settle down Passaic department". NorthJersey.com.
  25. ^ a b Richard Cowen. "Passaic County Democrats call for federal probe into Speziale job". NorthJersey.com.
  26. ^ "Ex-Passaic County sheriff's move to Port Authority angers, baffles N.J. Democrats". NJ.com.
  27. ^ a b c Richard Cowen. "Former Passaic sheriff Speziale takes job in bankrupt Southern town". NorthJersey.com.
  28. ^ Nick Gass (8 June 2015). "Report: Christie accused of breaking grand jury law". POLITICO.
  29. ^ "Former Schoolmate Continues to Plague Chris Christie". The Fiscal Times.
  30. ^ William K. Rashbaumaug, Mechanic for Sheriff in Inquiry Is Charged, August 24, 2010
  31. ^ Nate Schwebermay, Ex-Sheriff's Employee Draws Prison for Theft, May 19, 2011.
  32. ^ Richard Cowen. "Passaic County sheriff's motor pool chief surrenders to face misconduct charges". NorthJersey.com.
  33. ^ Richard Cowen. "State probes Passaic County motor pool". NorthJersey.com.
  34. ^ Messing, Philip (2010-08-11). "Former NYPD cop, Jerry Speziale, who was Bernard Kerik's partner gets second-in-command post at Port Authority Police Department, sources say". NYPOST.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  35. ^ "Prichard police chief's lawsuit against New York/New Jersey Port Authority generates buzz". AL.com.
  36. ^ "Former Port Authority Official Jerry Speziale Sues Agency, Alleges Retaliation Over Whistleblowing". cbslocal.com.
  37. ^ "Courthouse News Service". courthousenews.com.
  38. ^ John Sharp, "Bad boys, Bad boys: COPS film crew shoots footage of Prichard City Council", AL.com, January 16, 2014.
  39. ^ a b "Prichard names interim top cop following Speziale's resignation". fox10tv.com. 3 July 2014.
  40. ^ a b Joe Malinconico, "Ex-Sheriff Speziale Named Acting Police Director" The Record (Bergen County, N.J.) 02 July 2014: L.1.
  41. ^ "Former Prichard Police Chief Jerry Speziale: 'I love my kids ... that's all I have'". AL.com.
  42. ^ a b Joe Malinconico. "Torres picks former sheriff Speziale to be Paterson's new police director". NorthJersey.com.
  43. ^ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:City_of_Prichard_Letter.pdf. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  44. ^ Joe Malinconico. "Paterson officials question 'full-time' payments for part-time police director Speziale". NorthJersey.com.
  45. ^ Joe Malinconico. "Paterson council may switch Speziale's police director job to full-time status". NorthJersey.com.
  46. ^ Jayed Rahman. "Council members call for full-time status for police director Jerry Speziale". Paterson Times.
  47. ^ Joe Malinconico. NorthJersey.com http://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-reports-show-paterson-violent-crime-down-18-8-percent-over-start-of-this-year-1.1386806. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  48. ^ Joe Malinconico. NorthJersey.com http://www.northjersey.com/news/n-j-reports-show-paterson-violent-crime-down-18-8-percent-over-start-of-this-year-1.1386806. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  49. ^ "Jerry Speziale". theliterarygroup.com.
  50. ^ Dave McNary. "Permut, Serenity to produce 'Badge'". Variety.
  51. ^ Press Release, n.d.
  52. ^ "Passaic County sheriff celebrates film debut in "Brooklyn's Finest" at screening in Paterson". NorthJersey.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  53. ^ "Speziale adds actor to his resume". Allbusiness.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
  54. ^ "David Permut and Christie Hsiao for 'Without a Badge". Variety.com. Retrieved 2011-11-23.
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