Hudson County Sheriff Juan Perez is under the gun – fighting for his political future now that his former undersheriff, Frank Schillari of Secaucus, has the support of local Democrats in taking over the sheriff’s job.
But Perez fought back two weeks ago by engaging in a controversial move: He fired Schillari as undersherrif. Then, Perez switched his party affiliation to Republican so that he doesn’t have to face Schillari in a tough June Democratic primary.
Perez is still confident about his track record in office and that he’ll win reelection. Last month, weeks ago, just before the firing became known, Perez sat down for an interview with the Reporter to talk about his background. After the firing, his spokesman commented on the reasons.
“If you look at the department I inherited, and what it is now, we’ve achieved a lot.” – Juan Perez
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‘I could build this organization’
Perez ran for sheriff after serving for 26 years with the New Jersey State Police and retired as a captain. He was working as Deputy Director of the Jersey City Police Department when he decided to run for Hudson County Sheriff.
With the support of Hudson County’s top Democrats, including Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy and the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO), Perez decided to run for the sheriff’s post in 2007.
“When I came in here, I spoke to the officers and I could see that morale was down,” Perez said. “Officers had been told not to write tickets. They weren’t locking up any drunks. They were not doing any accident investigations. They were told just to [patrol] the county parks. To me, the department was still in the 19th century. Their communication system was old. I looked at this department and I knew it could be a good organization. I knew I could build this organization and make these guys proud of who they are and where they work.”
Perez took office in 2008 and immediately began shaking up the department of 231 uniformed officers and 115 civilian staff – and all for the better, he said.
He believed his officers were underpaid and promised to get them a better contract, under which officers would receive a 30 percent wage increase. A senior officer in the department can now receive a top salary of $84,500, which the sheriff credits for low turnover in the department. High turnover rates, he said, had been a problem under his predecessor. Fifty-seven new officers have been hired since 2008, he said, while only five have left the department.
The department will soon have an enhanced K-9 unit; four dogs are currently being trained to sniff out bombs, an important asset in a region that could be a target for terrorist attacks. The dogs and their training are being paid for by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the unit will be the first of its kind for the Sheriff’s Department.
(Schillari has, however, been critical of the overemphasis on bomb-sniffing. He has argued that the department should have a diversified K-9 unit that includes dogs trained to sniff out cadavers and drugs, as well as bombs.)
During Perez’s tenure, officers have begun using handheld computer devices that can quickly access law enforcement databases and obtain such information as outstanding warrants that have been issued.
Professionalizing the department has also been among his priorities. He has, he said, encouraged officers to continue their education and training, an opportunity of which many in the department have taken advantage. The sheriff said he lobbied to have tuition reimbursement added to the officers’ labor contract, “because the more officers who go to school, the smarter and better they are.”
Officers are currently being trained to be medical investigators. Under the program, “if there’s a dead body, our guys will go out and will do the initial investigation to check to see whether it’s a suspicious death,” Perez noted.
Currently he is trying to have the Sheriff’s Department accredited by the New Jersey State Chiefs of Police Assoc., something only a handful of law enforcement departments in New Jersey have pursued or obtained.
‘Leave it to the voters’
But Perez’s “proactive management style,” as he called it, has not been popular with some of his officers, or with some local mayors. Two weeks ago, several sources interviewed said members of Perez’s staff found him to be abrasive and heavy-handed, and they claimed his emphasis on professionalism has instead created a culture of fear.
Perez, however, believes his critics have overstated the level of dissention in the department.
Similarly, he said last week that his relationship with local mayors “is good. Whenever they need something, our department is always there to provide reinforcements, back-up help, whatever they need.”
He said he “can’t explain” why Democratic Party support shifted away from him and towards Schillari. “I’m really surprised by it.”
Perez believes he can still beat Schillari. Now it may be as a Republican or Independent.
The firing
It was a week ago Friday that Perez fired Schillari as undersherrif.
Still, last week, Schillari continued to pick up political support in his campaign to unseat Perez. Schillari has already garnered support from the Hudson County Democratic Organization (HCDO) and a number of high-profile individual party leaders.
Schillari’s firing has his supporters crying foul.
On Wednesday, three sheriff’s office employees filed a lawsuit in which they alleged that Perez had given them unfavorable assignments because they support Schillari’s candidacy.
The lawsuit was filed the same day Schillari received an endorsement from the Policemen’s Benevolent Association Local 334, which represents 231 uniformed officers in the sheriff’s office.
In a statement released on March 26, Perez explained the firing thusly: “The position of undersheriff is one of a confidential and sensitive nature and requires the full trust and confidence of the sheriff…It is evident through the actions of Undersheriff Schillari that he is not in compliance with the requirements of the scared trust of the office, and for a period of time has undermined my authority.”
When Perez’s spokesman, Robert Knapp, was asked how Schillari has “undermined” Perez, he said, “There are well-documented things that have happened. But it’s a personnel matter, so I can’t give any details on that.”
In response, Schillari’s spokesman, Paul Swibinski, called Perez “cowardly and foolish.”
“He was told that there was no reason for his termination, no justification. No budget concerns. No performance issues,” Swibinski said. “It is illegal to fire someone for political reasons. Schillari’s firing is clearly a political retaliation and a violation of his civil rights.”
Some members of the department claimed last week that Perez replaced Schillari with Robert Lamboy, who is Perez’s brother-in-law. Knapp, however, denied that Lamboy has been promoted. “He was the sheriff’s chief of staff, and he continues to be the chief of staff,” Knapp said.
One source said that a promotion was in the works but got canceled due to an outcry.
Republican support?
Whether Perez will win Republican support in his reelection bid still remains to be seen, according to Knapp. However, Knapp said Hudson County Republicans have tried to recruit Perez into the party before.
Winning could still be a longshot in a county where Democrats outnumber Republicans. But it’s likely that Perez, one of the most prominent Latino officials in Hudson County, will receive support from Gov. Chris Christie.
Despite the party switch, Knapp said Perez is still keeping his options open and could still decide to run as an Independent.
E-mail E. Assata Wright at awright@hudsonreporter.com.