Monday, September 09, 2002

Pursuant to discussions with First Assistant Attorney General Peter C. Harvey, on behalf of Attorney General David Samson, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office has superseded Acting Police Chief Michael Kennedy and taken control of the daily operations of the Keansburg Police Department. Monmouth County Prosecutor John Kaye took control of the police department in response to racial slurs directed at African Americans used by Kennedy on May 4, while issuing a command over police radio.

Kaye has established a team of monitors within his office to review and approve the day-to-day operations of the Keansburg Police Department. The team of monitors is headed by Capt. Charles Finnerty and Sgt. Thomas Wenzel, who are charged with reviewing the operations of the police department and making recommendations to municipal officials on issues of staffing, equipment, training, and allocation of departmental resources. Kaye, who has held several discussions with municipal officials over the past year about the police department, said the team of monitors will ensure that the Keansburg Police Department operates efficiently and professionally.

In addition to the management of the Keansburg Police Department, Kaye, in consultation with the Attorney General’s Office, has ordered all chief law enforcement executives in Monmouth County to attend a Cultural Diversity and Sensitivity training course at the Monmouth County Police Academy on Sept. 18. Kaye advised the Mayor and City Council of Keansburg of his supervision of the police department in a letter dated Aug. 23.

196