CONTENTS

ON THE COVER :

He wrote the book on collective bargaining and dedicated himself to making the job and life better for PBA members . As George O ’ Brien heads into retirement after 26 years with Clifton Local 36 and 24 as the PBA Collective Bargaining Coordinator , those who worked so closely with him recount what made George , George , and why he is one of a kind .

Signing Day

After more than three years of relentless and groundbreaking work , the bill that gives control of PFRS to the police and fire unions was signed into law . It was a historic day to say the least . . . . Page 27

Plus …

Independent thinking : NJ State PBA Director of Government Affairs Rob Nixon reveals how the bill made it into law and what ’ s ahead to set up the new PFRS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 29

Union Strong

The U . S . Supreme Court ruling on the Janus case might be a blow to public-sector labor unions , but the NJ State PBA is well-equipped to minimize the impact of this decision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 39

Flame On

The Special Olympics New Jersey Law Enforcement Torch Run celebrated its 35th anniversary with PBA Locals across the state carrying the torch and the carrying on the tradition like they have every year since its inception . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 45

Lighting the Way

Right after Samantha Levy was sworn in as the Spring Lake Heights Police Department ’ s first female officer , she found a way to shine by helping ease a little girl ’ s fears . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 65

6

President ’ s Message . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 4 Executive Vice President . . . . . . . . Page 7 The 4-1-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 8 PBA Legal Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 10 Legal Protection Plan Update . . . Page 14 Local 600 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 16 Corrections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 18

NEW JERSEY COPS n JULY 2018

“ The Voice of New Jersey Law Enforcement ”

www . njcopsmagazine . com JULY 2018

George O ’ Brien retires after 50 years of serving and revolutionizing collective bargaining

Local Representation . . . . . . . . . Page 20 NAPO Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 22 Response Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 23 Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 60 Around The State . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 63 Health and Wellness . . . . . . . . . . Page 73 Member Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . Page 77

MITCHELL KRUGEL

Editor and Publisher mitch @ njcopsmagazine . com

DAN RAPPOPORT

Sales Director dan @ njcopsmagazine . com

GINA CROTCHFELT

Art Director gina @ njcopsmagazine . com

AMBER RAMUNDO

Staff Writer amber @ njcopsmagazine . com

ED CARATTINI JR .

PBA Photographer pbanews072 @ njspba . com news @ njspba . com

KIMBERLY FLYNN ANNE KOSTUCHIK

Copy Editors

BRITTANY KRUGEL

Editorial Intern brittany @ njcopsmagazine . com

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DEANNA HUNTER

Director of Operations dee @ njcopsmagazine . com

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JULY 2018 n Vol . 22 No . 7

New Jersey COPS , known also as NJ Cops Magazine , is a monthly publication dedicated to law enforcement and criminal justice professionals operating in the State of New Jersey . © 2018 KRURAPP COMMUNICATIONS , INC . Reproduction of any part of this magazine without express written permission is prohibited . Subscription rate : $ 25 per year . Send address subscription inquiries to subs @ NJCops-Magazine . com . Reader comments and editorial submissions are welcome , but neither the Publisher ( Krurapp Communications , Inc .) nor the New Jersey State Policemen ’ s Benevolent Association ( NJSPBA ) assume any responsibility for the return of unsolicited material . The acceptance of advertisements by New Jersey COPS does not constitute an endorsement of the product or services advertised . Neither the Publisher , the NJSPBA , or any of their officers and / or employees , make any warranty , express or implied , including the warranties of merchantability and fitness , for a particular purpose , or assume any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy , completeness or usefulness of any information , apparatus , product , service provider or process included in any advertisement or editorial content . The views and opinions of any advertiser or third-party content contributor do not necessarily state or reflect those of either the Publisher or the NJSPBA , and may not be used for advertising or endorsement purposes . New Jersey COPS , its Publishers and / or the NJSPBA assume no financial responsibility for errors in advertisements .