Feb

3rd

Sheriff Gary Schaffer announced today that 22 employees received commendations for perfect attendance during the year 2011. Sheriff Schaffer highlighted three officers who have had perfect attendance for more than 10 years. Captain Thomas Bland 20 years, Corrections Officer Robert Ginder, 18 years and Sheriff Officer Randy Mistic with 12 years are setting the example for others to follow.

 “It is this type of dedication to the Sheriff’s Office and work ethic I would like to find in all our employees. I want to personally congratulate and thank these officers and employees who had perfect attendance for a job well done.”

The following officers and employees had perfect attendance for 2011:

Sec. Guard      James Bauer                                    Warden         Donald Lombardo     

Capt.               Thomas Bland, 20^th                          S/O                Thesea McKnight       

S/O                  Ryan Clary, 3rd                                 S/O                 Randy Mistic, 12^th     

Sr. Clerk          Nancy Crisanti                                  C/O                Russell Norcross, 3^rd

S/O                  Nathaniel Dickinson, 5^th                  S/O                 Ryan Osmundsen, 4^th

S/O                  David Douglas                                  S/O                 Michael Pastore, 2^nd

Sgt.                  Gary Erdmann                                   Sec. Guard   James Peel, 2nd

C/O                 Jay Gaskill                                          S/O                Kourtney Perry

S/O                  Robert Ginder, 18^th                          S/O                William Schenck

S/O                  Nolan Harris                                      S/O                Erick Teasenfitz, 6^th

Capt.              Kathleen Krych, 3^rd                            S/O                Raymond Tomlin, 2^nd

Feb

3rd

POLICE ACADEMY IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD CITIZENS

Cape May Court House – Cape May County Freeholder Leonard C. Desiderio and Chief Thomas DePaul, President of the Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association announced that the Cape May County Public Safety Training Center will be holding a Citizens Police Academy starting February 27, 2012. The Academy will take place on Mondays from 7 to 9:30 p.m. through April 23, 2012.

All citizens are invited to sign-up for the Academy which will provide an overview of the law enforcement function. Freeholder Desiderio said, “Citizens will have a chance to see how police are trained and how they respond to various situations. This is a hands-on academy that gives citizens an opportunity to participate in police operations in simulated situations.”

Topics include Crime Scene Investigation, Crimes Against Children, Traffic Related Activities, Use of Force, CPR and AED certifications, SWAT Team Demonstrations, and Internal Affairs.

Refreshments will be provided during the evening. To register please call the Cape May County Police Academy at 465-1134 or through e-mail to smorgan@co.cape-may.nj.us.

Jan

26th

County Adds Three Correctional Officers

Photo: Sheriff Gary Schaffer, Officer William Lear, Officer Michael Nuscis, Officer Dustin Wagner, Undersheriff Robert Nolan and Warden Don Lombardo

Sheriff Gary Schaffer announced today the graduation of three correctional officers from the Atlantic County Police Training Center Class # 22 for the Basic Course for County Correctional Officers. Officer William Lear of Cape May Court House, Officer Michael Nuscis of Cape May and Officer Dustin Wagner of Rio Grande became the newest Officers of the Cape May County Correctional Center.

Officer William Lear was awarded the Academic Achievement Award with an average of 96.5% for the highest average on all academic examinations. He finished second in firearms with an average of 98.3% and also received the Don Sauer Lifesavings Award. In addition Officer Lear received the Police Training Commission Merit Award.

Sheriff Schaffer, who is a member of the New Jersey Police Training Commission and sits as of the Chairman of one of the committees said, “The PTC Merit Award is one of the most valuable awards a recruit at the academy can receive. There are standards set by the Police Training Commission for this award, but the recruits in the class actually vote for the recipient of this award. It is truly an honor to know your fellow recruits feel you deserve such high recognition.” 

Officer Nuscis received the Physical Fitness Award for the class and also finished 3rd in the class in academics with an average of 94.5%.

“I am proud of these officers and their accomplishments and look forward to their long productive careers as correction officers. They join a professional group of officers at our Correctional Center that the residents of Cape May County can be proud of,” concluded Sheriff Schaffer.

Dec

22nd

Local Animal Hospital Donates Oxygen Masks to County's K-9 Unit

 Sheriff Gary Schaffer announced that Dr. Robert Fitzpatrick, DVM of Abri Animal Hospital in Cape May County donated a dozen muzzle oxygen masks to the Cape May County Sheriff's K-9 Unit.

These masks will provide supplemental oxygen in an emergency situation to Sheriff Officers’ K-9 partners. Some examples of when these masks are used include shock, trauma and smoke.

 Sheriff Schaffer said, “These masks are used similar to human applications which may be critical in life threatening injuries to their K-9 Partners. With the expense of training these dogs and with our unit responding to more and more critical situations, these masks could prove a valuable asset in saving a life of a K-9.  I would like to personally thank Dr. Fitzpatrick for his contribution.”

Dec

6th

Cape May County Participates in State-wide Sweep Sheriffs’ Officers Across New Jersey Arrest 953 In Three-day Statewide Child Support Sweep

Cape May County Sheriff Gary Schaffer reports that 32 subjects were arrested for child support warrants with a total of 40 non-support warrants served. Officers attempted to locate and serve 73 active warrants. The total amount due on the warrants is $ 352,326.84. The arrested individuals were brought before the court who ordered money collected and a court ordered payment schedule. Total amount collected on warrants was $ 15,474.43.  Twelve offenders were lodged in the correctional center with 8 of the 12 released after posting payments.   Three additional subjects were arrested for outstanding warrants from municipalities.

Also, the Sheriffs’ Association of New Jersey (SANJ) President, Somerset County Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano announced the apprehension of 953 delinquent parents in the second of the bi-annual Child Support Warrant Sweep for the fiscal year 2011. The goal of the three-day intensive Non-Support Sweep is to apprehend non-custodial parents who have failed to pay their court-ordered child support. Additional targets included parents who have failed to appear at court hearings to establish a child support order or order for medical support.

The Sweep is done in cooperation with the New Jersey Office of Child Support Services (OCSS). The Sheriffs’ Association of New Jersey (SANJ) is the lead agency in this event as per the Sheriff IV-D Cooperative Agreement between OCSS and the Sheriff’s Association, as authorized under Federal Regulation 45 CFR 302.34.  The OCSS has commended both the Sheriffs’ Association and the Judiciary for collaboratively supporting the Sheriffs’ final procedures and data report for t he Sheriff Child support Warrant Sweep.  Sheriff’s Officers from the 21 Sheriffs’ Offices, with assistance from other agencies, canvassed the state in search of offenders over the course of the three-day Child Support Sweep.  A total of 953 warrants were served and out of an outstanding $14,300,385.75 owed, approximately $233,141.10 was collected.

“I hope that our efforts during this statewide round up will help to bring a little joy into the lives of many children for the holiday season – helping those children who have not had the benefit of child support in some time,” said, Sheriff Frank J. Provenzano.

The following is a list of persons arrested during the sweep:

In addition to the non-support warrants executed, the following were arrested on municipal warrants.

1.  1. Chester Murphy was arrested on warrants from Hamilton Township Municipal Court in the amount of $1,309.00.

2. Michael Bounasis was arrested on warrants from Middle Township Courts in the amount of $1,500.00

3. Jonathan Qualli was arrested on warrants from Middle Township Courts in the amount of $500.00 and Pleasantville Municipal Court in the amount of $82.00.

 “I would like to thank all our officers for a job well done especially Sgt. Knoedler who coordinated 4 teams of officers, holding cells, processing and along with Cpl. Bittner who coordinated the I.D. Bureau. Our Correctional Officers who processed into the Correctional Center a large number in a short period of time showing true dedication and commitment to getting the job done. These officers are to be commended for their efforts and extra work that goes into an operation like this.  We have throughout the year and will continue to pursue non-support warrants aggressively,” said Sheriff Schaffer.

Dec

6th

Cape May County Project Lifesaver Receives Donation From Chiefs of Police Association

Sheriff Gary Schaffer recently accepted a $1,000 donation for Project Lifesaver from the Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association. The primary mission of Project Lifesaver is to provide timely response to save lives and reduce potential injury for adults and children who wander due to Alzheimer’s, autism and other related conditions or disorders.  Project Lifesaver is funded entirely through donations.

Sheriff Schaffer said, “This donation from our local Chiefs of Police Association could not have come at a better time. We currently have twenty active clients on Project Lifesaver, two inactive clients due to hospitalization or rehabilitation. Nine clients are children and eleven are adults. We currently have five people on our waiting list, with a possibility of five more, awaiting the return of five applications sent out this month. This is the most active the program has been.”

The task of searching for wandering or lost individuals with Alzheimer’s, autism, Down syndrome, dementia or other cognitive conditions is a growing and serious responsibility. Without effective procedures and equipment, searches can involve multiple agencies, hundreds of officers, countless man hours and thousands of dollars. More importantly, because time is of the essence, every minute lost increases the risk of a tragic outcome.

Citizens enrolled in Project Lifesaver wear a small personal transmitter around the wrist or ankle that emits an individualized tracking signal. If an enrolled client goes missing, the caregiver notifies their local Project Lifesaver agency, and a trained emergency team responds to the wanderer’s area. Most who wander are found within a few miles from home, and search times have been reduced from hours and days to minutes. Recovery time for Project Lifesaver clients averages 30 minutes — 95% less time than standard operations.

“It costs approximately $270 to outfit a client with a transmitter and batteries for one year. Our officers volunteer their time to change client’s batteries monthly. It costs approximately $72 per year for batteries to maintain a client for one year,” added Sheriff Schaffer.

According to Chief Robert Matteucci, President of the Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association, “When the Sheriff asked our association for financial assistance with Project Lifesaver, we immediately responded. Not only does this program save our personnel and resources incurred during a detailed search, it also has proven time and time again to save lives and find the missing person quickly. I encourage our citizens and other civic groups to join us as we support this worthy public service.”

The holiday season can be a particularly challenging time for both children with autism and their families. The value of planning for the holidays cannot be overestimated for those with sensory sensitivities, who thrive on routine and are easily disoriented. The holidays are filled with sights, sounds and smells. The average household is turned into a busy, frantic, festive place. The stores are brightly lit, excessively noisy with holiday music and busy with shoppers rushing in every direction. All of these sudden and dramatic changes for a child on the spectrum can easily create a sensory overload, making the holidays a difficult time for both the child with autism and their parents. Additionally with visiting elder relatives who are not familiar with the area and tend to wander, this can be most stressful.

According to Sheriff Schaffer, “Every Sheriff’s Office in New Jersey participates in Project Lifesaver as well as 33 other states. Additionally, equipment compatibility enables clients of Project Lifesaver and their families to relax and enjoy vacation time.  The entire State of New Jersey and many other parts of the country are covered by law enforcement agencies utilizing Project Lifesaver.  We have the ability to locate Project Lifesaver clients visiting Cape May County, no matter where they live and other agencies can locate our clients, should they wander while on a trip.  All the caregiver needs to do is provide the Law Enforcement agency conducting the search with the Project Lifesaver frequency number. Prior to leaving the state, caregivers should call ahead to their destination to ensure that area is covered by Project Lifesaver.”

Schaffer concluded, “Our officers donate their personal time meeting with clients, changing batteries and offering assistance. I am very thankful to our officers for their commitment to this program as well as the civic organizations that continue to see the value and support us in this area. I encourage our civic organizations or anyone to join our Cape May County Chiefs of Police Association and support Project Lifesaver in Cape May County so no one has to be on a waiting list.”

Nov

16th

Cape May County Participates in the American Medicine Chest Challenge

Sheriff Gary Schaffer announced that over 58 pounds of outdated and unused prescription drugs were turned over to the Cape May County Sheriff's Office this past weekend during the American Medical Chest Challenge.

 The American Medicine Chest Challenge is a community based public health initiative, with law enforcement partnership, designed to raise awareness about the dangers of prescription drug abuse and provide a nationwide day of disposal of unused, unwanted and expired medicine that was held on November 12, 2011 in communities across the country.

 Sheriff Schaffer said, "Prescription drug abuse is a problem in our country. The 2007 National Study of Drug Use and Health found that 70% of people who abuse prescription pain relievers indicated they got them from friends or relatives, and the National Institute of Drug Abuse

(NIDA) reports that upwards of 9 million people use prescription medication for non-medical uses."

 Sheriff Schaffer suggests the following:

 Take inventory of your prescription and over-the-counter medicine Secure your medicine. Please visit OTCsafety.org for more information Dispose of your unused, unwanted, and expired medicine in your home at an American Medicine Chest Challenge Disposal site.

 Take your medicine(s) exactly as prescribed Talk to your children about the dangers of prescription drug abuse...they are listening. For tips visit The Partnership at DrugFree.Org, and topMedicinceAbuse.com Sheriff Schaffer added, "I want to thank all the residents that participated by turning in their outdated and unused prescription drugs. This small step goes a long way in helping prevent prescription drug abuse and I encourage all residents to participate in future events such as this."