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Notice to Residents: March 18, 2024 Update from the Chief of Police

Residents,

Please take the time to read this message in its entirety as there is pertinent information regarding several incidents of criminal activity within the Borough thwarted by our officers, as well as critical personal safety and preparedness information for all residents.

Not long ago, our officers conducted a motor vehicle stop and found a vehicle had a fictitious temporary registration affixed to the same.  Three adult suspects occupied the vehicle, which had been legally rented from a rental car agency.  The vehicle was legally registered in another State but had a fictitious paper temporary registration placed over the actual license plate.  Our officers determined this to be a willful attempt at disguising the vehicle in furtherance of criminal activity and began an extensive investigation.  The officers eventually observed, in plain view within the vehicle, an electronic key programming and cloning device used to clone and reprogram key fobs.  The device is illegal to possess and can be utilized for the purpose of stealing motor vehicles without key fobs being present within the vehicle.  The three suspects, some of whom are known to have a previous gang affiliation, were all adult males with significant criminal histories.  All three suspects were arrested and lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.

On another occasion, our officers located a subject driving a motor vehicle with what appeared to be a fictitious temporary registration in the center of the Borough.  Upon conducting a motor vehicle stop, the driver exited the vehicle and fled on foot.  Several of our officers descended upon the area and captured the suspect placing him under arrest.  Shortly thereafter, it was discovered the suspect was wanted for an armed robbery in northern New Jersey.  A search warrant was obtained for the vehicle and a loaded handgun was located within the vehicle along with a significant amount of suspected cocaine.  The vehicle was also found to be stolen out of New York.  The suspect, believed to be an affiliated gang member, was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.

This past weekend, in the early hours of Sunday morning, our patrols located a potential stolen vehicle travelling on Gregory Drive.  Upon officers spotting the vehicle, it fled and a search for the same ensued.  An alert resident on Kenneth Court heard and observed four male suspects trying to enter her backyard and yelled at them from a window.  The suspects fled as she contacted 9-1-1 to provide our officers with descriptions and their direction of flight.   A perimeter was established with the assistance of several police agencies within Morris County, as well as the State Police Aviation Unit.  A systematic search for the suspects, assisted by heat-detecting drones and the State Police Aviation Unit, located two suspects hiding in the wooded area behind Brooklake and Briarwood Schools.  Officers swarmed the area and captured two of the suspects.  The captured suspects advised the officers one of the remaining two suspects at large was in possession of a handgun.  Additional officers continued the search for the remaining suspects, one of whom was located along Briarwood Road and the last suspect was located along Crescent Road.  All suspects were arrested and transported to police headquarters while a BB Gun was located along the path the suspects took while fleeing.  The vehicle they had been driving was located on Kenneth Court and confirmed to have been stolen.  Three of the suspects were juveniles, one of whom has an extensive criminal history, but all were required to be released to their parents after having been charged with several criminal offenses.  The fourth suspect was an adult with a lengthy criminal history and was lodged in the Morris County Correctional Facility.

I have to thank the following law enforcement agencies who responded and assisted with this tremendous undertaking, bringing the same to a successful conclusion:
Madison, East Hanover, Livingston, Millburn, Montville, Hanover Twp, Morristown, Morris Twp, Chatham, the Morris County Sheriff’s Department and the NJ State Police Aviation Unit.  The teamwork exhibited and dedication to communal safety was the overwhelming determining factor in the successful resolution of this incident.  I also have to thank the resident of Kenneth Court, whose vigilance and timely reporting to the Police was critical to our officers establishing a sound perimeter, which contained the suspects, allowing other assets to respond and assist.

In each of three incidents detailed above our officers exhibited significant competence and dedication to duty.  Their efforts occur continuously every day and night with the interest of our resident’s safety and security in the forefront of their motivations.  Please take a moment when you see them to thank them for what they sacrifice for the benefit and safety of our community.

Lastly, there have been repeated warnings, from FBI Director Christopher Wray, regarding a potential attack on the homeland.  According to the Director there have been several red flags raised at levels more significant than those prior to the 9/11 attacks.  I relay this information to our residents for purposes of preparedness, having a plan in the event a catastrophic incident affects us as individuals, as a community, a State or a Nation.  The little things we all do to be mindful and vigilant can have a tremendous impact on communal safety.  Like the resident of Kenneth Court, all residents must take communal safety seriously and not be lulled into a false sense of security that living in a great community like Florham Park can have on your psyche.  The Department of Homeland Security provides preparedness strategies for civilians at the link below:

https://www.dhs.gov/prepare-my-family-disaster

Stay Safe,

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police
March 18, 2024

Notice to Residents: Junior Police Academy Application

The 2024 Florham Park Police Department Junior Police Academy application is now available!  You can pick up a copy at Florham Park Police Headquarters or print the application from the link below.  Please contact Sgt. Joel Phillips at 560@fppd.net or (973) 410-5428 with any questions or concerns regarding the application process.

Application Download Link

Notice to Residents: March 11, 2024 Update from the Florham Park Police

The Morris County Sheriff's Office recently had several concerning calls from residents in several communities who were targeted in a phone scam.  Callers posing as Sheriff’s Officers tell the would-be victim that they need to deliver money or they will face immediate arrest. The scammers use actual Morris County Sheriff’s Officer names and the victim’s caller I.D. is manipulated to appear to be coming from the Morris County Sheriff’s Office.  

Florham Park Police Chief Joseph Orlando and Sheriff James M. Gannon want to remind you NEVER to provide sensitive personal information, money, or access to your assets to any unknown individual.  Also, please discuss this scam with family members who may be vulnerable to this type of crime.

If you have any questions about this reminder or need further guidance on these types of matters, please contact the Morris County Sheriff's Office at 973-285-6600, or the Florham Park Police at 973-377-2200. Thank you!

Notice to Residents: February 21, 2024 Update from the Chief of Police

Residents,

A coordinated effort by local police agencies and County law enforcement has brought increased vigilance by the public to the plague of MV Thefts and residential burglaries.  Please see the Public Service Announcement below and remember to play your part in maintaining communal safety by locking all of your vehicles, removing key fobs, keeping you homes well lit and secure at all times.

Morris Reflects on Auto Theft Progress, Trend of Home Burglaries | Parsippany Focus

Stay safe!

Joseph Orlando
Chief of Police
February 21, 2024

Hiring Announcement: SLEO III

The Florham Park Police Department is currently seeking professional and qualified applicants for the position of Class III Special Police Officer. The Class III Special Police Officer shall perform safety and security duties at the Florham Park Public Schools.

Applicants will be required to submit a resume and complete an application. Applicants must apply on PoliceApp.com.  Applications are due by 11:59 P.M. on March 20, 2024. 

Minimum Qualifications:

The applicant must be:

    • A retired law enforcement officer less than 65 years of age, who:
    • Served as a duly qualified, fully trained, full-time officer in any municipality or county of this State or as a member of the New Jersey State Police, and;
    • Was separated from prior service in good standing, within three years of appointment to this position. The applicant must be able to produce a letter of good standing issued by the agency from which the officer retired that lists the date and type of retirement.
    • Applicant must be physically capable of performing the functions of the position, determined in accordance with the Police Training Commission. 
    • Applicant must possess a New Jersey Police Training Commission Basic Police Officer Certification or New Jersey State Police Academy Certification. 
    • Applicant must be a resident of the State of New Jersey and possess a valid New Jersey Driver’s License. 
    • Applicant must successfully pass a background investigation.

Any applicants offered a conditional offer of employment will be required to pass a medical exam, psychological evaluation, and drug screening.

Starting Salary for the Class III Special Police Officer will be $40.00 per hour and he/she shall work a schedule between 27.5 and 40 hours per week, and only when school is in session. Anticipated hours will be between 7:00am-4:00pm.

Following a resume and application review, qualified individuals will be contacted for interviews.

The Borough of Florham Park is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants shall be given full consideration.


AlertFlorhamPark

AlertFlorhamPark will allow you to get emergency notifications in any manner you choose, including phone, email, text, or social media, so you can stay informed during major storms or other emergencies taking place in Florham Park or throughout Morris County. Users have the ability to enter multiple addresses located in multiple jurisdictions within a single profile. If you care for a loved one who lives in another Morris County town and want to be notified of issues affecting that person’s municipality, your one registration process will satisfy that need.

AlertFlorhamPark also offers a free Smart911 signup option for county residents, providing a greatly enhanced and potentially lifesaving 9-1-1 emergency call service for anyone who registers for it.

Smart911 is FREE, and your information is secure, accessible only to a 9-1-1 call taker. This service can provide key information to responders that can make your family safer. For example:

  • Address Details: How to access your home, number of bedrooms, location of utility shut-offs, and if you live in a multi-family building;
  • Family Details: Number of residents, ages, photos of children, and your landline and mobile phone numbers;
  • Medical Information: Medical conditions of certain residents, medications taken/required, allergies, mobility of residents, and if special equipment is needed in an emergency;
  • Animals: A list of your pets, service animals and livestock, and their names so responders are aware of them as they enter your home. Also, include the name of your veterinarian;
  • Emergency Contacts: Family members, friends or neighbors to be contacted in case of an emergency;
  • Vehicles: Make, model and license plate number in case of a motor vehicle accident.

Residents can offer as much or as little information to first responders through Smart911 as they wish.

Florham Park Police Social Media

Welcome

Message from the Chief:

 

Community Members, another school year is upon us and as such, school and traffic safety are of paramount concern to the Police Department.  In an effort to maximize the safety of the Borough’s schools, we have hired and will be placing SLEO III Officers at each of the three public schools.  Those officers will work in accordance with statutorily mandated hours requirements, therefore their scheduling and presence in the schools will fluctuate.  

Our two full time School Resource Officers (SRO’s) will remain within the schools to maintain a presence, teach DARE/Anti-Bullying related curriculum and to continue to nurture relationships with the community’s youth.  Our patrol officers will continue to randomly visit all of the Borough’s schools on a daily basis for an additional layer of security.  The Police Department’s administration will continue to maintain a close working relationship with the Board of Education, Superintendent of Schools and all of the Principals in an effort to provide the safest environment for our school system.

Parking and speeding are always issues in and around the schools.  We will have several officers patrolling and enforcing speed, parking and other traffic related violations within the school zones and residential areas that surround the same.  We ask that all residents, especially those who will be driving to the schools, to obey the posted speed limits and to park in designated spots only.

Have a safe school year!!

Joseph J. Orlando
Chief of Police
Florham Park Police Department