CHIEF AMBROSE SWORN IN: On Monday, January 28, 2008, Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow swore Anthony F. Ambrose III to the position of Chief of Investigators for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

“Mr. Ambrose is regarded as a hard-working professional, who brings a wealth of experience and is highly respected in the law enforcement community,” said Prosecutor Dow. “I have no doubt that his leadership abilities and commitment to excellence will propel this office to an even higher level of achievement and service to the citizens of Essex County.”

Mr. Ambrose joins the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office with 23 years of experience in law enforcement and possesses a broad range of managerial experience and outstanding investigative skills. Serving as Undersheriff for the Essex County Sheriff’s since last year, Ambrose is expected to begin his new assignment within the next two weeks. Prior to joining the Sheriff’s Office in 2006, Ambrose served as Police Director and Chief of Police for the Newark Police Department since 1999. He managed 1,240 sworn officers and 400 civilian personnel for the largest municipal agency in the State of New Jersey with an operating budget of $123 million dollars. During his tenure with the Newark Police Department, Ambrose also served as Com Stat Facilitator, Internal Affairs Investigator, Academy Instructor, Unit/Field Supervisor, Criminal Investigator in the Narcotics, Robbery and Homicide Squad, Police Officer and Special Police Officer. He has undertaken several special law enforcement assignments and is the recipient of numerous distinguished law enforcement awards. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy (’99) and is currently attending Fairleigh Dickinson University for a degree in Public Administration.

“I am deeply honored and excited about joining this high-performance prosecutorial office,” said Ambrose. “I look forward to working closely with the detectives in helping the assistant prosecutors carry out their mission to see that justice is done and to do so in the most efficient manner.”

CRIME SCENE UNIT IMPROVEMENTS: Essex County Prosecutor Paula T. Dow and Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo Jr. have unveiled the new headquarters of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Crime Scene Unit, a state-of-the-art 15,000 square foot crime scene investigation facility designed to enhance the collection, processing and packaging of forensic evidence in Essex County. The new facility will house a vehicle processing room, equipped with a hydraulic lift, allowing the CSI to examine vehicles from all angles; a forensic processing room, designed for limited processing of forensic evidence; a digital photo processing room designed to store all digital photography evidence, a drying chamber room designed for processing and packaging blood soaked evidence, an evidence storage room capable of handling more than 50 times the amount of evidence securely from the previous facility. The high-tech computer systems will allow networking to other law enforcement agencies including: the FBI in Quantico, Virginia; the New Jersey State Police Forensic Science Center in Hamilton, New Jersey; and other law enforcement agencies all over the world. In addition, the computer systems will have access to the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) to identify and match fingerprint evidence, and a 3-D Animated Crime Scene Sketch and Reconstruction Software to allow CSI’s to visually reconstruct the crime scene.

Field equipment will consist of six fully-stocked crime scene vehicles equipped with digital cameras; portable lighting systems; Sirchie alternate light systems – designed to enable the CSI to view bodily fluids, hairs, fibers and latent fingerprints – all invisible to the human eye under natural light; laser measuring devices; portable generators; Scene Guard kits – designed to allow the CSI to quarantine a room or item from any transfer of evidence; Go Jacks or portable dollies – designed to allow the CSI to easily move a vehicle without disturbing any forensic evidence. Staffing of the Crime Scene Unit has more than doubled with approximately 20 employees, comprised of investigators, detectives, supervisors and clerical. All crime scenes are now investigated by two investigators and one supervisor, enabling for a more comprehensive investigation. Previously, one crime scene investigator responded to crime scenes.

Personnel Notes: On Friday, Nov. 14, 2008, the Hon. Michael Petrolle, JSC, swore Cynthia Teller to the office of Assistant Prosecutor. Ms. Teller graduated from the Franklin Pierce Law Center in 2007, and clerked for the Hon. Ernest Caposela, JSC (Passaic County) in 2007 and 2008. Ms. Teller was previously a legal intern for the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office and the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office.

Matthew Hanley was sworn in as an Assistant Prosecutor by the Hon. Michael Petrolle, JSC, on Friday, Oct. 3, 2008. Mr. Hanley graduated from Cornell Law School in 2001, and was involved in private legal practice in the field of patent and intellectual property law since then.

On Friday, September 12, 2008, eight attorneys were sworn to the office of Assistant Prosecutor. Jaspreet Kaur Bansal was sworn in by the Hon. Margaret M. Hayden, JSC. Ms. Bansal graduated from Rutgers School of Law - Newark in 2007, and clerked for Judge Hayden in 2007 - 2008. Gregg Brown was sworn in by the Hon. Stephen J. Bernstein, JSC. Mr. Brown graduated from Rutgers School of Law - Newark in 2007 and clerked for Judge Bernstein in 2007 - 2008. Rasheedah Carraway was sworn by the Hon. Peter J. Vasquez. Ms. Carraway graduated from the Howard University School of Law in 2005, and worked for several law firms since then. Jason Hollingsworth was sworn in by the Hon. Michael L. Ravin, JSC. Mr. Hollingsworth graduated from the Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2007, and served as Law Clerk for Judge Ravin from 2007 to 2008. Amber Jernigan was sworn to office by the Hon. Betty Lester. Ms. Jernigan graduated Rutgers School of Law - Newark in 2007, and clerked for Judge Lester in 2007 - 2008. Nicole Medrozo was sworn in by Judge Vasquez, and graduated from The Dickinson School of Law, Pennsylvania State University, in 2007. Ms. Medrozo served as Law Clerk to the Hon. Bette Uhrmacher, PJSC, in 2007 and 2008. Ari Schneider was sworn to office by the Hon. Melvin Gelade, JSC. Mr. Schneider graduated from Quinnipiac University School of Law in 2007, and clerked for Judge Gelade in 2007 and 2008. Shlomo Singer was sworn in by the Hon. Serena Perretti, JSC, and graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2007. Mr. Singer clerked for the Hon. Philip Freedman, JSC and Judge Perretti in 2008 and 2008.

Employees Honored: In October, 2007, ECPO employees Lloyd Holmes, Lorenda Grier, Kathleen Welsh and Carmen Aponte received Support Employee of the Year Awards from the Prosecutors Office Management Association at their annual networking and training seminar, held in Mercer County. As seen in the picture below from the left, Mr. Holmes (Photo Processor), Ms. Grier (Narcotics and Gang Unit), Ms. Welsh (Appellate Unit) were honored for their dedication and effectiveness in the performance of their duties. (Ms. Aponte, from the Victim Witness Office, is in the second picture below, with ECPO Teamwork Awardees.) Congratulating these employees were, from the right, Office Supervisor Martha Thompson; Administrative Agent and ECPO POMA Representative James Hunter; and Prosecutor Paula Dow. POMA, formed in 1979, seeks to improve office management in county prosecutors' offices throughout the state, through the exchange of ideas and discussion of mutual problems.

VICTIMS RIGHTS WEEK CELEBRATION: The Essex County Prosecutor's Office, through its Office of Victim-Witness-Advocacy, scheduled an event to recognize victims of crime and those programs which serve them in honor of National Crime Victims' Rights Week, which was April 22rd to 28th, 2007. This year's commemoration, whose theme was "Victims' Rights - Every Victim, Every Time", reflected on the cost of crime to our society and the significant accomplishments of the victims' rights discipline over the last 27 years. It thus paid tribute to the millions of Americans whose lives have been irrevocably scarred by crime. Essex County governing officials, law enforcement professionals and office staff were on hand to meet those in attendance. Crime victims who have volunteered their time and focused their energies to help others and local service agencies that have been exemplary in their service to and support of Essex County crime victims were publicly recognized at the event.

V.I.N.E. Victim Notification Telephone Service Started: The State of New Jersey provides a toll-free telephone number through which victims can gain information about the current status and location of their offenders: 1-877-VINE-4-NJ. Registration is necessary. Please consult the V.I.N.E. Web Site for more information.

Child Car Seat Fitting Station Moved: Investigator Arnold Anderson is one of several law enforcement officers in Essex County who volunteers as a Safety Technician at the Essex County Child Car Seat Fitting Station, which recently moved from Cedar Grove to Livingston. This effort is run by the Essex County Child Passenger Safety Coalition, and provides inspections and fittings of child car seats in automobiles for free. This service is conducted by Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians, and is available at 120 Dorsa Avenue in Livingston (where the Volunteer Ambulance Corp is located). The Center is open every Wednesday and Thursday from 9 am to 4 pm (except major holidays), and no appointment is necessary. This program is supported by the County of Essex and Mountainside Hospital. For more information, please call: 973-429-6896.

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