9 Essex County Police Departments Launch Joint Task Force – Caldwells, NJ Patch

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — A little bit of cooperation can go a long way. Especially when it involves law enforcement.

On Wednesday, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (ECPO) and nine police departments in the county announced that they are combining forces to launch a new anti-crime task force. The participating departments are: Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Essex Fells, Fairfield, North Caldwell, Roseland, Verona, West Caldwell and Livingston.

According to the ECPO, the anti-crime partnership will allow police officers to work together combating crimes – such as burglaries, car thefts and “quality of life issues” – that overlap their geographical borders.

Prosecutors said that the partnership will focus on “deterrence, education and detection.” The involved officers will also participate in safety checkpoints throughout the nine towns, in addition to increasing cooperative patrols.

“One of the most effective ways of extending the reach of law enforcement is by sharing information and personnel,” Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said. “Criminals do not recognize borders particularly when it comes to property crimes. By working together, we can identity patterns that we hope will enable us to solve crimes quicker and disrupt criminal crews that may be working in multiple communities.”

North Caldwell Police Chief Mark Deuer, president of the West Essex Chiefs’ Association, also offered support for the new law enforcement team-up.

“The local police chiefs all saw a need to help each other combat auto thefts and burglaries in the area,” Deuer said. “Although we have always had a great working relationship with each other, this new unit brings us all together as one team with one mission. With the full support of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office we are sure this new initiative will be a success.”

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