It was a tumultuous week for the North Bergen Police Department. First, it was learned that former Police Benevolent Association president Richard Fonde, a highly decorated 14-year veteran of the force, had not only resigned his position with the union, but also abruptly had resigned from the force as well. Fonde was under suspension at the time of the resignation. He had been suspended since February for allegedly having worked a second job without reporting this to his superiors, as departmental regulations require. A hearing on the charge was postponed, but Fonde resigned before he could face it. A few days later, former Sgt. David Eisenhauer received word that he would not be criminally indicted for allegedly lying during a departmental hearing. The hearing had concerned his failing to inform the department that, like Fonde, he allegedly had been working on an off-duty job. Eisenhauer, also a 14-year veteran, had said during the hearing that he had not taken the job, but then was presented with evidence to the contrary. He was terminated in April, 1999, and a charge of lying under oath was investigated by the Hudson County Prosecutor’s office. But the Grand Jury decided not to indict him. While the decision not to indict Eisenhauer ended the Prosecutor’s Office’s involvement in the situation, it has not been ruled out Eisenhauer’s facing administrative charges from the township. And apparently, that’s a route that township officials plan to explore, considering that Eisenhauer is appealing his termination. “Absolutely, we will reinstate disciplinary proceedings against Eisenhauer,” said township special counsel John Scharff last week. “There are still several matters pending.” North Bergen PBA attorney John Young has consistently maintained that Eisenhauer was terminated improperly, and will ask the state’s Office of Administrative Law to hear the issue and make a ruling on the matter very shortly. Fonde’s case In the case of Fonde, it was a case of wanting to step aside, as opposed to a long, detailed legal battle like the one Eisenhauer has been waging for the better part of the last three years. According to department sources, Fonde was spotted on a videotape working as a private investigator without having gotten approval from the department. A departmental hearing to discuss the charges against Fonde was scheduled for last month, but it was postponed. Fonde weighed the charges against him, then decided to resign. While Eisenhauer still faces charges within the department, the resignation of Fonde closes his case. He has severed all association with the North Bergen Police Department. Fonde had received six commendations during his 14 years on the force, but he was outspoken against Police Chief Angelo Busacco and township officials over promotions for patrolmen. At the time of Fonde’s suspension, officials maintained that his position within the union had nothing to do with the disciplinary action. Now that Fonde has officially resigned, both as PBA President and as a patrolman, former vice president Ken Carmeci has taken over as president until the upcoming elections. Fonde did not return phone calls seeking comment last week. In other police news, township officials officially christened three new police cruisers and immediately put them into regular patrol duty last week. The new cruisers, all state-of-the-art police vehicles, will replace three other vehicles that will be retired.
Our Digital Archive from 2000 – 2016
