STANDING STRONG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 29
bers to gather at Atlantic City’s 9/11 and First Responders Memo-
rial on the Boardwalk in mid-September, the response illustrat-
ed the all-for-oneness that has enabled them to rise above this
ordeal. Like a scene from one of those movies in which people
just keep coming through the door and filling up the room, the
Atlantic City law enforcement rank and file flexed their presence
and spit it in the face of the takeover.
As Sergeant Kevin Scanlon, who just completed his 23rd year
with the ACPD, proclaims, “We just keep taking punches and
keep standing up.” And 23-year veteran Detective Steve Rando
reasons why:
“It goes a lot to our character,” Rando asserts. “With the char-
acter of the men and women of this department, we’re not go-
ing to be denied. We’re not going to be pushed back. We will keep
fighting back. The more they push back, the more we will keep
pushing forward.”
Local 24 members didn’t want push to come to shove when
state takeover talk began nearly two years ago. They get it. When
four casinos in town close, the local economy is going to take a
hit, so when the city council members came looking for salary
and other concessions, Local 24 officers were not above doing a
little favor for them.
But a little favor turned into $1 million, then more and more,
until the state couldn’t even provide a number it needed to bal-
ance a budget. All roads seemed to be leading toward another re-
gionalized county police force, which only further prompted the
call to be AC strong.
“Atlantic City isn’t Camden,” submits Jim Herbert, a 13-year Lo-
cal 24 member and SWAT officer. “We’re a very historic town. We
have hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. It’s an honor to
serve them and the residents, and that’s why we work together as
30
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ SEPTEMBER 2017
a group of resilient police officers.”
When so many officers show up for the show of strength that
the Boardwalk photo was meant to be, when they all keep show-
ing up for work every tour, the image they want to portray is
abundantly clear.
“They can take our salaries and our employment rights,” ex-
plains Joe Procopio, a detective with 10 years on in AC. “But one
thing they are not going to take away is our willingness to do the
job.”
Strong feelings
When President Colligan met with Atlantic City Local 24, he
recognized that it was not a time to be “singing fight songs.” And
certainly, a look into the plight of AC officers is not about currying
sympathy, but rather a don’t-let-this-happen-to-you cautionary
tale.
Here’s what happened when the governor signed the Munici-
pal Stabilization and Recovery Act in May 2016:
The bill gave Atlantic City 150 days to formulate a five-year
financial recovery plan or face a takeover. On Nov. 9, 2016, the
commissioner of the state Department of Community Affairs re-
jected the city’s p