Bad cops

Good morning!

New Jersey police officers hit a record last year: 654 law enforcement officers statewide were suspended, demoted, or fired for various offenses ranging from serious to absurd, via Dana DiFilippo.

That’s ~100 more officers than the previous year and the most disciplined since the state started mandating that departments release the names of officers charged with major discipline.

Dana crunched the numbers from the state’s nearly 600-page report and found this: Of the officers who faced major discipline last year, seven were police chiefs, more than 100 were repeat offenders, and almost 120 resigned or retired before discipline could be finalized.

Read more from Dana.

Courts: An appellate panel this week handed Seton Hall University a big win in its push to keep an investigative report into sex abuse claims at the school secret. Lawyers for plaintiffs who are suing the Archdiocese of Newark alleging they were sexually abused by clergy have been trying to get their hands on the report, but the court largely agreed with Seton Hall that because the report was written at the behest of lawyers hired by the university, it is protected by attorney-client privilege.

Trenton: State lawmakers this week advanced a bill to give the state more control over financially struggling hospitals, another bid inspired by the closure of Heights University Hospital in Jersey City earlier this year. “Its closure creates concerns about reduced healthcare access, longer emergency room wait times at neighboring hospitals, increased travel time for patients, and greater strain on the remaining Hudson County healthcare facilities,” said Assemblywoman Katie Brennan. Critics say the bill is overly broad and, given the state’s robust regulatory system, not needed.

Housing: Uh-oh. Via Tim Henderson, “May housing starts fell to the lowest level since the pandemic disrupted construction six years ago, the U.S. Census Bureau announced Tuesday. Builder confidence has dropped recently because of higher material and financing costs.”

Crime: Jersey City police are investigating a bizarre and horrifying incident where acid was thrown at a group of women by two suspects riding past them on a moped, per John Heinis at Hudson County View. Mayor James Solomon said the attack appears targeted and related to an earlier altercation. The victims were all taken to the hospital for injuries that were not life-threatening. One juvenile was under arrest.

Media: An alarming episode for press freedom out of New Brunswick, where local outlet New Brunswick Today was ordered by a judge to unpublish surveillance video it obtained of a student police say was found to be carrying a concealed weapon. Via U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, the school district says it has reason to believe the video was “disseminated without authorization” — no kidding? — and got a judge to order it taken down for now. Lawyers for the site and the district are expected in court next month.

World Cup: Yesterday’s second World Cup match at MetLife Stadium led to hours of delays afterward for fans hoping to get out of the area via ride-share or bus, via NorthJersey.com, while one fan reported a stopped-dead line for those hoping to get home via NJ Transit.