Jersey City Police about to embarrass the city once again

About a dozen more Jersey City police officers, with one already busted, are expected to be behind bars as early as next month in a federal investigation over no-show stand-around construction site jobs. The officers in question weren't sharing their take from the construction companies with the city of Jersey City who not only allows, one might say at this point encourage the wasting of police officers to standing around construction sites since they get a cut. Remember when Councilman Steve Fulop railed against cops doing these stand around jobs and part of his mayoral platform was actually correcting this problem? But, once Fulop became Mayor and the PD fell under his purview and realized money was being made no matter how shadily, he hasn't made a peep about it since. Even now it's his spokesperson.

This has long been one of Johnny's pet-peeves. These cops do nothing but stand around all day talking with workers, smoking cigarettes or even cigars with workers, and hitting the food trucks. Don't expect to see them always standing around the work sites though (if they even show up), much of the time they retire to their vehicles and sometimes catch a few Zzzzzzz's. Johnny has documented the sleeping problem again and again.

So, on goes the federal investigation, sure to make national news and embarrass the city further, and Mayor Fulop's office, knowing he's approved of these stand around jobs now that he's mayor, is actually, lamely, trying to get out front of this (more like getting out behind on this) through his spokeswoman, the venerable Jennifer Morrill:

"Over the last three years this administration has initiated and worked with federal authorities in several investigations to root out corruption by long term city employees," Morrill said. "We have a zero tolerance policy and employees should be aware that if they break the law they will be held accountable."

Fulop's people seem perfectly fine with unaccountable rogue cops (excused drunk driving for JCPD officers anyone?) until it blows up on his administration. By being expected to provide files and time-sheets and interviews with certain cops and supervisors, the city isn't leading the investigation on this, they are cooperating. Johnny's a professional media analyst, he's been sought out and hired by some of the largest companies on the globe, when he says Jersey City is merely supplying the Feds with what they want, believe it. He speaks press release and spokesperson. If Jersey City was leading the investigation U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman wouldn't be the one behind the microphones on this since last October.

So, the Jersey City police force is ready to embarrass the city yet again as they have done to mayors before. Who could forget the ridiculous steroid abuse scandal during the Healy administration that got national play. The JCPD lets this city down far more often than should be allowed without major changes. If, like Mayor Fulop says, Jersey City is to become the best mid-sized city in America we're going to need an A+ police force, not C- force we have standing around cheating taxpayers.