EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ’ S REPORT
MITCHELL C . SKLAR
The New Jersey Police Chief Magazine | December 2021
NJSACOP Board Makes Inroads in Washington
In early December the NJSACOP Board of Officers traveled to Washington , DC to meet with several top executives of Federal law enforcement agencies at their headquarters in the capital . There were several purposes for our visit , including to receive important briefings and updates , to explore opportunities available to NJ law enforcement agencies and personnel , and to renew and expand the partnerships established by our association .
Our first stop was the US Marshals Service , where we had a very productive meeting with Director Ron Davis . As a former Director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services ( COPS ), Director Davis has a long history of working with local agencies and associations throughout the nation . We were joined in the meeting by our Marshal for the District of New Jersey , Marshal Juan Mattos , who has been an outstanding partner of our association for many years . One of my most prominent takeaways from this meeting was the recognition that New Jersey serves as a role model for local-federal cooperation .
We next went to Homeland Security Investigations headquarters , where our group received a briefing on the HSI Task Force Officer Program and State and Local Overtime Program , providing us with valuable information to bring back to our membership .
The following day began with a visit to the headquarters of US Central Bureau of INTERPOL , where we met with Director Mike Hughes and Deputy Director Marc Zimmerman . We also received a detailed briefing on the role that INTERPOL plays in the law enforcement community , and the resources that it can provide to every police agency , regardless of size or jurisdiction . As a result of this meeting , we hope to have some specific information to share in the near future that will provide significant benefits to our state . On another note , both Director Hughes and Deputy Director Zimmerman have New Jersey roots and share our pride in the quality of policing and police leadership in our state .
We then met with another national law enforcement leader with New Jersey roots , US Secret Service Director Jim Murray . Jim and his team provided an in-depth briefing on the role of the USSS and their reliance on partnerships with local police . We were also given details about cost-free specialist training available to selected local police officers .
Despite the busy agenda , we made sure to build in time to make a stop at the National Police Officers Memorial to pay our respects . No matter how many times you visit , it never fails to be a moving and powerful experience .
These meetings were of course interesting and informative , but more importantly they will pay dividends for our state ’ s police agencies and our association , and accordingly for our state and our residents . We plan to make such visits a regular feature of our Board ’ s operations .
A final observation : our members should take pride in the reputation that New Jersey policing – and the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police – enjoy at the highest levels of the law enforcement community .
----- On behalf of the NJSACOP State Office Staff , I wish all of our members , friends , and colleagues a very Merry Christmas , Happy New Year , and a happy , healthy , and safe holiday season .
5