Jersey Boys

The news today of the passing of General Norman Schwarzkopf reminds us of a fact familiar to most of New Jersey’s law enforcement community, but less well known among the general public: General Schwarzkopf’s father, Colonel H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr., was the founder and first superintendent of the New Jersey State Police.

General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Jr.















Colonel H. Norman Schwarzkopf, Sr.












General Schwarzkopf was best known for his role in the original Gulf War, repelling Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait in 1991. But at the time of General Schwarzkopf's birth in 1934, his father was leading the investigation into the kidnapping of Charles Lindbergh’s infant son, the infamous "Lindbergh Baby" case.

The Lindbergh case drew national attention, culminating in a raucous trial at the Hunterdon County Courthouse in Flemington and leading to the execution of Bruno Richard Hauptmann in 1936.

Both father and son Schwarzkopf were Jersey boys, the father having been born in Newark and the son in Trenton.

Holiday Schedule

The Badge Company of New Jersey will be OPEN on Christmas Eve, December 24, but closed on Christmas Day, December 25.  We will then be open the rest of the week, December 26-27-28.

We will be closed on both New Year's Eve, December 31, and New Year's Day, January 1.  We open for 2013 -- our 40th year! -- on January 2.

Best Wishes to all our customers, friends, and families.

What’s That White Stuff? Part II

It has happened again.

In 2010 we blogged about a burglar in South Carolina, where snowfall is not very common, being captured because authorities simply followed his footprints in the snow.

Here in New Jersey, where the season’s first snowstorm has already occurred, earlier this week police arrived at a home after the resident reported that someone had just tried to break into the house by smashing a rear door window.

Officers were told the man had knocked on the front door of the home, and when no one answered, he went to the rear. But the crook fled when the homeowner yelled, according to police.

The officers followed footprints in the freshly fallen snow and found the 26-year-old genius a short distance away, in possession of a hammer.

Challenging Circumstances

Berkeley Township, New Jersey, encompasses some of the areas hardest-hit by Hurricane Sandy, including both oceanfront and inland areas devastated by the storm. Dealing with a natural disaster of this scope is a challenge for any police agency.

In this photograph, Berkeley Township Police Chief Karin DiMichele uses the p.a. system in a police vehicle to address residents last week, residents who are gathered to obtain passes to go to their property to inspect damage and collect possessions. Yes, as of this writing the portions of Berkeley Township that are on the Island Beach barrier island remain off-limits to residents and property owners, and access is being carefully controlled. There is no electric service, the natural gas service has been turned off pending repairs to damaged gas mains, and roads are damaged and/or blocked by debris.

We know – we have family who are year-round residents of the area, now displaced to a rental property elsewhere.

Photo courtesy of David Gard/The Star-Ledger

Hurricane Sandy Updates

November 5, 2012:  Our power and our telephones are restored, and we are now operating in a generally normal fashion.  We are getting caught up on shipments and order processing from last week, and we appreciate everyone's patience and understanding.

We have learned that the New Jersey League of Municipalities' conference has been canceled.  This conference, the 97th annual confab for mayors and municipal employees, was scheduled for next week in Atlantic City, and we have been an exhibitor there for decades.  But with so many towns reeling from the effects of the storm, including Atlantic City itself, the League made the right decision.  We'll see you all there next year.

November 1, 2012:  Due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy, we have been operating on generator power, our telephone service is out, cell phone service is spotty, and internet access comes and goes.  At the moment, it appears that the best way to reach us is via e-mail because we have been able to retrieve e-mail messages via the smartphone.  Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Great Gift Idea!

Extra! Extra!

People have long criticized news organizations of adding sensationalism to stories for the sake of selling more copies or attracting more viewers.

It appears to be true in the case of the headline that appeared today:

Former Cop Convicted of Sex Assault

Does Not Have to Register as Sex Offender, Court Rules

Naturally, a reader’s first thought will be, why does a cop get to avoid this?

But when one reads the story one learns that the whole matter has absolutely nothing to do with the convicted person having been a police officer. He could have been a truck driver, a computer programmer, or a restaurant chef, it would make no difference.

The story is about a sentencing error by the original trial judge, which caused the courts to rule that the sex offender registration requirement under "Megan’s Law" does not apply. The convicted person having been a police officer doesn’t enter into the matter at all.

Perhaps the convicted person having been a police officer had some bearing on the original assault case. But we do not know that by reading the story accompanying this headline.

So why did the headline not read, "Man Convicted of Sex Assault Does Not Have to Register as Sex Offender, Court Rules?"

Because, it appears, stories about bad cops attract readers. Stories about judges who err while issuing a sentence do not.