Independent · Compiled from public records
Police discipline in New Jersey, on the record.
Internal affairs and discipline records for every police department in New Jersey. Every fact here traces to a specific row of the Attorney General's public data, cited on the page.
Everything reported is rising
Each series indexed to its first reported year = 100
| Year | IA investigations | IA incidents | Major discipline records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 2021 | 100 | 100 | 168 |
| 2022 | 114 | 108 | 177 |
| 2023 | 121 | 113 | 241 |
| 2024 | 113 | 105 | 284 |
| 2025 | 125 | 110 | 361 |
Plotting the raw counts together would flatten discipline against the far larger investigation totals, so each series is indexed to its own first reported year. Read carefully: a rise reflects more reporting and cleared appeal backlogs as much as more misconduct.
Major discipline grew from 226 records in 2020 to 816 in 2025.[1][2]
Recent cases
All cases- Patrolman Scott PalmerSuspended
Phillipsburg PD · 2025
Patrolman Palmer was charged with computer criminal access, official misconduct, and aggravated assault upon a law enforcement officer.
- Patrol Officer Matthew O'HollaSuspended 180 days
Westfield PD · 2025
Patrol Officer Matthew O'Holla was suspended for 180 days by the Westfield Police Department in 2025 and separated while an internal affairs matter was pending.
- Officer Wilson LimageSuspended 90 days
Union Twp PD · 2025
Officer Wilson Limage of the Union Township Police Department was suspended for 90 days for conduct unbecoming a public employee.
- Sheriff's Officer Christopher WolfSuspended 10 days
Union Co Sheriffs Office · 2025
- County Correctional Police Officer Regina MajorSeparated while IA pending
Union Co Sheriffs Office · 2025
- Sheriff's Officer Grisel AgurtoSuspended 162 days
Union Co Sheriffs Office · 2025
- Patrol Officer Rodney WatsonSuspended 8 days
Summit PD · 2025
Officer Watson berated an on-duty sergeant, standing over her as she sat, waving his finger, and screaming that he did not have to listen to her because he was senior and the rules did not apply to him, according to the Summit Police Department.
- Patrol officer Stephen BratschSuspended 24 days
Springfield Twp PD - Union County · 2025
While working the communications desk, Patrol Officer Bratsch received a report of a shoplifting, assigned himself the call, then drove in the opposite direction and had a sit-down breakfast, delaying his response by approximately one hour, according to the Springfield Township Police Department in Union County.
Final, adjudicated discipline as reported by the employing agency. Summaries are written by this site from each cited record.
Report-card grades
All report cardsHow 540 graded agencies fall within their peer groups. A grade is the fifth of the peer group an agency lands in, not an absolute verdict.
540 agencies graded against peers of the same type and size. 59 more are not graded (too few peers or too little reported data).
| Grade A | 109 |
|---|---|
| Grade B | 105 |
| Grade C | 111 |
| Grade D | 107 |
| Grade F | 108 |
What internal affairs handles
Most serious allegation · 2025
| Other Departmental Rule Violation | 5,113 |
|---|---|
| Demeanor | 2,233 |
| Use Of Force Policy Violation | 1,918 |
| Excessive Force | 911 |
| Differential Treatment | 783 |
| Sexual Assault/Criminal Sexual Violation | 720 |
| Neglect of Duty | 668 |
| Other Criminal Violation | 628 |
Severity, color-coded
Bars are colored by the site's allegation-severity tiers. Allegations are not findings: most complaints end unfounded, exonerated, or not sustained.
Most major discipline, by agency type
Agency types are never compared against each other. Record counts, 2020-2025.[1]
Municipal police
- Jersey City PD9213 term.
- Newark PD875 term.
- Camden PD496 term.
- Trenton PD448 term.
- Atlantic City PD361 term.
| Jersey City PD | 92 |
|---|---|
| Newark PD | 87 |
| Camden PD | 49 |
| Trenton PD | 44 |
| Atlantic City PD | 36 |
| Hoboken PD | 19 |
Corrections
- Dept Of Corrections577136 term.
- Camden County Department of Corrections3336 term.
- Essex County Department of Corrections6225 term.
| Dept Of Corrections | 577 |
|---|---|
| Camden County Department of Corrections | 333 |
| Essex County Department of Corrections | 62 |
| Burlington County Department of Corrections | 52 |
| Monmouth County Department of Corrections | 47 |
| Hudson County Department of Corrections | 38 |
Volume mostly tracks size
Each point is a county: sworn officers against internal affairs investigations, 2025.[2]
| Item | Sworn officers | IA investigations |
|---|---|---|
| Essex | 1,593 | 2,953 |
| Camden | 977 | 2,404 |
| Hudson | 831 | 1,203 |
| Bergen | 598 | 777 |
| Union | 510 | 743 |
| Passaic | 458 | 668 |
| Monmouth | 478 | 664 |
| Middlesex | 481 | 622 |
| Atlantic | 344 | 517 |
| Burlington | 358 | 497 |
| Morris | 338 | 445 |
| Mercer | 245 | 361 |
| Ocean | 274 | 350 |
| Somerset | 224 | 306 |
| Cumberland | 188 | 296 |
| Gloucester | 223 | 272 |
| Cape May | 142 | 171 |
| Sussex | 89 | 155 |
| Hunterdon | 75 | 110 |
| Warren | 72 | 100 |
| Salem | 38 | 66 |
Counties with more officers report more internal affairs investigations, which is why a raw county total is closer to a staffing count than a measure of conduct. The three largest are labeled. Points above the trend report more per officer; that can mean more misconduct or a more active complaint process.
All 21 counties
Compare countiesEssex
2,953
IA investigations, 2025
252 discipline · 39 term.
Camden
2,404
IA investigations, 2025
455 discipline · 24 term.
Hudson
1,203
IA investigations, 2025
244 discipline · 27 term.
Bergen
777
IA investigations, 2025
119 discipline · 10 term.
Union
743
IA investigations, 2025
96 discipline · 9 term.
Passaic
668
IA investigations, 2025
77 discipline · 16 term.
Monmouth
664
IA investigations, 2025
131 discipline · 32 term.
Middlesex
622
IA investigations, 2025
117 discipline · 24 term.
Atlantic
517
IA investigations, 2025
207 discipline · 19 term.
Burlington
497
IA investigations, 2025
104 discipline · 15 term.
Morris
445
IA investigations, 2025
52 discipline · 11 term.
Mercer
361
IA investigations, 2025
76 discipline · 19 term.
Ocean
350
IA investigations, 2025
49 discipline · 8 term.
Somerset
306
IA investigations, 2025
47 discipline · 7 term.
Cumberland
296
IA investigations, 2025
36 discipline · 9 term.
Gloucester
272
IA investigations, 2025
50 discipline · 9 term.
Cape May
171
IA investigations, 2025
64 discipline · 11 term.
Sussex
155
IA investigations, 2025
18 discipline · 5 term.
Hunterdon
110
IA investigations, 2025
15 discipline · 4 term.
Warren
100
IA investigations, 2025
9 discipline · 4 term.
Salem
66
IA investigations, 2025
21 discipline · 3 term.
Reporting from the record
All articlesExplainer · 2026-07
Where internal affairs activity concentrates in New Jersey
Two counties reported more internal affairs investigations in the most recent year than the twelve smallest counties combined. Population and department size explain much of it, but not all.
Explainer · 2026-07
What major discipline in New Jersey actually looks like
Suspension, not termination, is the common outcome. The median suspension is 18 days. 471 officers were fired. Here is the shape of the record.
Explainer · 2026-07
What counts as major discipline in New Jersey
The state's most detailed public record of police discipline covers only the serious end of the scale. Here is how to read it.
Explainer · 2026-07
How to read a department report card
A grade on this site is not a verdict. It is a department's position among agencies like it, on the two things the records can measure.
Report cards
540 departments graded against their peers.
Radio encryption
0 departments encrypt their radio communications.
How this works
Sources, definitions, and the limits of the data.
Sources
- [1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 1. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03. Counts derived from all 3,006 data rows; row 1 is the header. ↩
- [2]New Jersey Internal Affairs Agency Totals, 2021-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Sheet1", row 1. Snapshot retrieved 2026-06-09. Statewide totals summed over all 2025 agency rows; row 1 is the header. ↩