Mount Olive Police
I'm a musician and after my gigs I usually come home late at night down Route 46 exit 26 off of 80. If it's a Saturday night about 2-3a.m I usually get pulled over by the Mount Olive police department. They are usually nice and so am I and I'm sent on my way. But the alarming thing is the reasons they give for pulling me over are never true. It's either I crossed the center line or I was speeding. This weekend I was told I was clocked at 65 mph in a 50 zone! I've never driven that fast down that road ever. My license stays clean! It's starting to bother me that they make this stuff up! I think I'm going to record a video of it and nail them on this crap. Hackettstown does it too. Twice recently I've been pulled over in my driveway, same crap, same or similar lies. If you ask me this is harassment. I know they are looking for drunk drivers but that is not what I'm being told. They are blaming me first for their suspicion. It's a bunch of crap and should be illegal. Just pulling anyone over whenever they want for false reasons is crap. Find a real criminal, leave people like me alone. Is this illegal? I don't drink so I'm not worried about it but when you can predict it and have to get used to it, that seems wrong. Police should not lie to catch people breaking the law. What's next? How far will they go?
Mick Keep track of how many times you have been pulled over, after some amount of time it has to be harassment.
I usually avoid mount olive at those times because they are known for this, they pull anyone over.
I suppose where you are playing also does't help? I would guess bars and such? they probably see your car sitting in the parking lot for a length of time and that's why they nab ya.
Darrin I avoided a deer once and a Mount Olive cop pulled me over, said I was driving erratically. "Didn't you see that deer," I asked. I added that I was coming from the Mount Olive football game and told him the score ... he let me go.
I think after a certain hour they are just on the lookout for drunk drivers, and that's not a bad thing.
Andy Loigu Get all the info from them on every time they pulled you over at police HQ's. Document each and every time and maybe get a hidden video set up. Document everything and if it continues file a civil suit seeking damages for harassment.
jerseycash5No, he says he comes in off of Route 80, so they don't know where he's coming from... but at that time of night, they figure there's at least a 1 in 4 shot of a driver being DUI.
ianimal Yes, Mount Olive is known for this behavior. My husband knows someone who works nights for UPS in Parsippany and had to change his route home because he was getting pulled over two or three times a week. Sometimes by the same officer in a week. I do not know the legalities but I would love to.
I agree, Andy, it's not a bad thing that they are looking for drunk drivers. But set up checkpoints or something then, don't just pull over x number of cars for no good reason just because people are driving at a certain hour of the night (or early morning as the case is).
Aquarius I think its good that they are looking for drunks but continually harassing innocent drivers is wrong.
Yes, I was coming from Linden. It's scary that they manufacture lies with no conscious about it. If you did it you would more than likely take you in if they even thought you were lying. Looking for drunk drivers is not a bad thing at all and I respect the Police but they should just have a check point and say what they are looking for instead of making up stories so they can do what they want. I mean they do keep us safe but that doesn't give them the right to make up stories. They should follow a protocol to keep officers from becoming corrupt in order to get recognition/promtions etc...
Checkpoints cost money. And if it's perfectly legal for them to set up a checkpoint and pull over every car or every 5th car or whatever, how is it really any different to pull someone over at random for a DUI check and give them a BS answer for doing so? If they DO nab a drunk, it's not like the judge is going to believe him when he says that he wasn't speeding or swerving or whatever...
It's a little thing called honesty and accountability, ianimal.
Something that police departments across the US are having a problem with, if you watch the news.
Mark Mc. Because when you allow police to pull people over for no reason at all, under the auspices of "protecting the larger community from the dangers of drunk drivers," it opens up the potential of even more encroachment on our personal freedoms. Like driving safely home at 2 a.m., which last time I checked wasn't illegal behavior.
Sunday night they had the ole double whammy set up in Mansfield on the side of the road one cop car was parked right across from Shop Rite on the side of 57 and than 2/10 's of a mile up the road another cop car was parked along Rt.57 by the Tap House Grill. I thought for sure was going to get pulled over again but didn't. Night time is absolutely nuts with the cops and deer out there.
So, then, checkpoints should be illegal... but they aren't.
I agree with you, by the way... catching drunks is not as important as maintaining personal freedoms.
It's not just the Mount Olive Police. The Mendham police do the same thing on Rt. 24. And if you read the police blotters you see are not just catching drunk drivers.
I was taking care of a friends mom a few months ago; twice a week for 5 weeks, from 8:30pm to 12:30am. I am a 53 year old woman, not speeding and not drinking or anything - just sitting with my friends mom who had cancer and leaving when my friend returned home from her shift at work.
I (kid you not) got pulled over 5 OF THE 10 TRIPS HOME TO HACKETTSTOWN. After the 1st time (for improperly changing lanes, whatever that means) I was super vigilant in making sure I was not speeding, using my blinkers (even when nobody was around), driving exactly in the center of the lane, etc, etc. It was nerve wracking - and yet I kept getting pulled over, with various excuses. I was pulled over by Mt Olive 3 times and Hackettstown twice. I did get a ticket for my right break light going out (great timing, it must have just went out that day!), and a warning for "speeding" when I know WITHOUT A DOUBT I was not going the speed he said I was because I was paranoid and kept checking the speedometer.
It really sucks that we have come to the point where the cops are nothing more than revenue generating ticket writers and someone to be worried about. Was not at all like that when I was a kid.
Heidi 
Mr Negative Mendham cops pull people over on Route 24? Don't the Hanover Township cops have a problem with Mendham cops being 10 miles out of their jurisdiction?
Happens with Washington TWP police in Long Valley all the time. I usually get out of my restaurant job around 10-11PM, and on the way home have been pulled over many times atop Schooley's mountain for B.S. reasons, twice for "crossing over the double line" around a corner, (never happened) and once because my exhaust was too loud (it is a total street legal sub 95 decibel system and I have the papers to prove it). I would love to call these guys on it but usually just deal with it while they check out my spotless record and then let me go. it is truly annoying.
eperot Several prior posts here say Washington Township does the same thing going down the hill as well as coming from Chester when the speed limit drops.
GC " Don't the Hanover Township cops have a problem with Mendham cops being 10 miles out of their jurisdiction?"
The *original* Route 24.
botheredbyuu2 "The *original* Route 24."
You mean Route 57? Or South Main Street in Phillipsburg? Lots of roads USED to be Route 24.... but it no longer exists west of I-287 and hasn't for over 20 years.
A good friend of mine, also a musician, gets pulled over all the time as well. It's the late hour most likely.
BTW - He's not DWB.
Calico696 Mark Mc - Obviously a person from Pburg doesn't know the local vernacular.
And it's not only the Washington Township PD on 46 going down the hill. Mt. Olive also has a squad car pulling people over on their side of the town line.
I've never been stopped when I pass the police cars late at night and in the early morning hours. I assumed it was because they ran my plate and determined I do have everything in order and a spotless record.
"but it no longer exists west of I-287 and hasn't for over 20 years."
Plenty of places still use Route 24 as their mailing address, and there are signs for it in Chester (at least as of 2009 when the street view picture was taken)...
Mark, I'm well aware that the signs are still up in some places, exclusively because of the locals' reluctance for change. However, that doesn't mean that it's still legally a State Highway anymore; it's not. It's officially a County road, maintained by the County, not by the State.
http://www.nj.gov/transportation/refdata/sldiag/00000024__-.pdf
I think the washington twp cops are the worst about pulling people over for no reason. I've been pulled over at least half a dozen times for no reason coming up and down the hill. It's the furthest corner of long valley, and they hang out there just to collect ticket money.
To collect and serve!
PuppyDad Hackettstown gives out a lot of DWU {driving while ugly} tickets. Most of them hold up in court.
I wouldn't drive that stretch of 46 stone cold sober at 12 noon on my way to church...there are other roads coming to town. Get off at the next exit Trade Zone & take Waterloo Rd.
RU 
JRT What do Long Valley (wash twp) police call speeders?
Criminals!!!
Bah dum bum!
Thanks folks I'll be here all week!
Lol
H-town Mama 
justintime Mendham cops pull people over and then cut tickets for 5 mph over the limit; probably worse than Mount Olive...
iJay Washington township is by far the worst department for this. I cannot even tell you how many tickets I've gotten for the most ridiculous things and these guys were pulling the stuff straight from their a$$.
I could take another direction, but honestly, why do these guys need to hang out on a small stretch of road that is barely their jurisdiction? All they're doing is writing useless tickets to people coming and going from hackettstown to generate revenue for long valley.
Puppy,
They are generating revenue (At the cost of non residents) for their tax base on the absolute outskirts of town which in turn doesn't inconvenience the core of their resident tax base with traffic stops in town. If you're a municipality this is the perfect setup as has been the case in Washington Twp Morris County for many many years.
Got a Washington Township ticket recently - obstructed license plate. Made my donation to Washington Twp.
btownguy Btownguy,
Well thank god they caught you, Ill sleep much better at night knowing the license plates of drivers on 46 are no longer obstructed.
curious about what was the obstruction? was it mud or a lic plate frame?
as the mayor of a local community said in the paper a few years back,
"I told the chief we needed the money, to write em' up, pull em' over and write them all up"
really you need the money so prey upon the tax paying public?
really? seriously?
BrotherDog BrotherDog - do you know a way to keep impaired drivers off the road? I'm not arguing that pulling indiscriminate cars over is the way to solve the problem but it amazes me that even with all the publicity over distracted driving people continue to drive impaired. The results of such driving are tragic because it's usually innocent people who die or are injured because they happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
http://www.dailyrecord.com/story/news/local/2014/12/08/hackettstown-police-charge-man-dwi-crash/20110005/
no, other than to be aware of the signs, i mean if folks are weaving, or looking down at their cells or putting on makeup while reading the newspaper, or reaching into the back seat to slap the kids into submission the cops ought to be pulling them over,
that doesn't seem to be the case in the anecdotal reports in this thread,
the fact that one mayor has been documented giving this kind of instruction to his chief of police because the town needs the money is quite disturbing in my view.
Washington Twp (Morris County) police are all over the place doing the same thing. I've seen them with cars pulled over on Rt 57 in Mansfield, but when you look at the map the actual boundary between Washington and Mansfield is the river, NOT Rt 57. I've also seen them sitting on the yellow striped center area of Rt 46 at the top of the mountain in what is clearly Mount Olive.
JerryG Mary, that is why some states such as Florida put the counties on their license plates. They don't want to upset their own residents if possible. Remember to not ever let them try that here.
On the Rte 46 hill, my daughter got pulled over at 3 in the afternoon. I always tell her to take it easy coming down into Hackettstown. So she was in the right lane poking along. The Washington cop pulled her over, and started yelling at her for texting on her cell phone. She told him no, she wasn't using it, and that her cell phone was in her purse, which was on the passenger floor and zipped shut. So he started saying that then he was going to give her a ticket for going too slow, and that she could explain it to the judge if she wants. So she started crying. He said get out of here.
Totally harassment in my opinion.
Reggie Voter I see some of you have got a little taste of what Ferguson Missouri residents go through on a daily basis according to reports a lot of people don't realize that over half of Ferguson Missouri's budget comes from traffic stops and police wonder why the majority of people don't like them and don't trust them just before my daughter left for college she was pulled over for one of her license plate lights was out after she was given a warning, the cop asked her out she said no and the next day called the police station to complain about the officer in the next six days before she left she was pulled over five different times coincidence
+1 oldred - exactly what I was thinking - a taste of what some populations go through ever and always.............the very definition of profiling ---
5catmom i was crossing rt 46 in mount olive and it was dark outside.i waited almost ten minutes to cross -saw a gap in traffic and crossed..as i headed to htown the car that passed me was a cop.he stopped me and gave me a ticket for careless driving..i told him it was a main artery and traffic was heavy and i crossed when i had the chance.he didn't care..when he passed me i looked in my rear view mirror and he did a u-turn right in the middle of four lanes of traffic with cars coming both ways at night to chase me down.and i'm the careless one.
tunnel rat Over the summer I got a ticket from an Independence cop for "obstructed license plate" as well. The only thing "obstructed" (slightly) from the plastic frame was the bottom of the tail in the Y in Jersey. It just looked more like "New Jersev" with the bottom of the Y cut off. What a bunch of bullshit because you could CLEARLY read that it was a NJ plate! That cost me $54.00
As soon as I got to my destination, I just got out of the car and ripped off the licence plate frame and threw it in my trunk. The cop couldn't just tell me to get out of the car and remove it?? Funny thing is, my car is 16 years old and that plastic frame was put on by the car dealership 16 years ago. For 16 years it was fine until this past July?
The more I think about this stuff the angrier I am getting. I completely forgot about it until I saw other people posting about it.
Wow, you people get a lot of tickets. A bunch of criminals I say!!!! ;-)
I've been driving for almost 30 years and I have only ever gotten a parking ticket. It was from a meter expiring in Pt. Pleasant in 1986. Either I'm a very good driver, or extremely lucky. :-)
joyful Calico696 - every single ticket I ever got was in NJ and was when I was driving after midnight (including the license plate fiasco). Maybe you're not on the roads that late?
Or, maybe you are just extremely lucky!
Can beat that Calico. Ive been driving 36 years and NEVER got a ticket for anything. NEVER! Have been stopped 1-2 times but never ticketed. Lol
I was stopped once way back in 1992 or something like that. I just got told to slow down and was let go.
My dad gets stopped and ticketed all the time. Additionally, he lives in a town with a bunch of the red light cameras and has been caught on film several times. You'd think he'd learn his lesson. Damn parents, can't teach 'em anything! LOL
Heidi - You are correct. I'm not on the roads that late. My mother always taught me that nothing good happens after midnight. The only time you will catch me out after midnight is New Year's Eve and I'm usually walking.
"My mother always taught me that nothing good happens after midnight."
Especially feeding gremlins... but the problem is, it's ALWAYS after midnight.
only stopped once in 52 years - in LA --- on a 6 lane street -- person stepped off the curb 5 lanes away - I believed I had to stop if I would impede their progress - so of course I didn't stop --- until the motorcycle officer appeared --- I couldn't believe it -the only time -- oh and speaking of such - I have never run out of gas ---- and you all????
I've never run out of gas. I've haven't ever been broken down on the side of the road either. I've also never seen Star Wars, but that's not relevant to this thread. ;-)
I think I beat you all. One speeding ticket in South Carolina on 95, in 68 Years. I just recently got pulled over on 78 for expired registration. He was sitting on the side of the road. He must have a new fangled thing that reads licence plates. Took him 8 miles to get up to me. He let me go because I just had the car inspected a week before. He said they should not have done it. It was Saturday but I took care of it first thing Monday morning.
Old Gent Mick,
What kind of car do you drive?
I was pulled over many times when driving a Georgia registered car, this was an Honda Accord with tinted windows and no front license plate (legal in GA).
Very often the will profile the cars....
BrownEyesGuy No tickets last 10 years or so, about 8 before that when I was young and drove like a jerk. Plus two or three written warnings. I've been pulled over plenty. Over 35 times last time I counted. Twice I was pulled over and about to get a ticket when the officer was called away on something more important. I also ditched a cop once when I was 16. Not the smartest thing to do.
MeisterNJ Two parking tickets, but very expensive parking tickets. One in Cranford, NJ two years ago at $54.00, and the other in Clinton for about the same amount of money maybe 6 or 7 years ago. In Clinton, I thought I was parked in a legal parking spot but apparently was not. In Cranford I was about 5 minutes late or less to replenish the meter. The officer had just finished writing the ticket. I was stopped at about 10:00 p.m. one night on 517 in Allamuchy for crossing/touching the white line. It was dark, curvy and hilly where I was stopped. I told him that a week before in the very same area there was a Black Bear in the middle of the road so I was being extra careful. The officer looked at my license etc., gave me no ticket, and told me to be careful. I'm very rarely driving after midnight, but it shouldn't be a reason for stopping people in Mt. Olive or anyplace else.
Mrs. Pipes $54 is a very expensive parking ticket? Don't park illegally in NYC, you'll keel over in shock at one of those tickets.
One time I was doing a budget, one hint was to budget for parking tickets if you live in NYC and had a car.
I belive that mount olive is #1 in the state of NJ for giving out the most DUI arrest/ tickets.
for those who got a ticket for obstructed license plates or other minor violations. I would bet you got stopped for speeding or some other moving violation but the cop gave you a much less expensive ticket to give you a break. Amazing how people don't mention that when they complain about minor violation tickets.
boobalaa It's amazing that they wouldn't have to worry about tickets at all, if only they were related to a cop.
Gadfly "I belive that mount olive is #1 in the state of NJ for giving out the most DUI arrest/ tickets."
Good Driver,
That's a negative. Per the below article: "The top two officers in the state were Patrol Officer Steven Schmidt of Stratford Borough, Camden County, who arrested 104 impaired drivers in 2013, and Patrol Officer Robert Westfall of Toms River, Ocean County, who busted 102 impaired drivers in 2013."
http://www.nj.com/middlesex/index.ssf/2014/06/madd_honors_nj_cops_who_busted_drunk_drivers.html
Vic I am one of those who got a ticket for obstructed plate (Yankee themed frame) when I was speeding over Schooley's Mountain. The officer was very nice asking where I came from and was going (going home after work at 3am). He said he would do me the favor and write a no points ticket since my license was clean and the car was insured/registered correctly. I can't say I follow all the rules all the time but my run ins with the police on the mountain have all been good, they are respectful and fair to me.
MK "I belive that mount olive is #1 in the state of NJ for giving out the most DUI arrest/ tickets."
I have heard that too, and they pride themselves on it!
I got pulled over on Willow Grove. The officer thought I was on my cell phone. My phone was also zipped in my purse and on the floor out of reach. He kept pushing me on it and didn't believe me. He said then why was your hand by your ear? I don't know, maybe moving my hair out of my face or scratching my head. He reluctantly let me go. If they don't see a phone they should not make assumptions. That is entrapment. They have to meet their quota.
Jazzykatt came down h-town mountain this am and saw them pulling over someone going up the hill, they really watch that mountain like a hawk,
45 mph means 45 mph to them , no more , and no less (too slow? really she was driving too slow?)
BrotherDog - Unless you were the car being stopped you don't know why they stopped the car you mentioned. I know from my discussions with police officers they run the plates as people go by and pull over a lot of cars that have expired registrations and /or no current inspection. Upon stopping the car they then find suspended drivers licenses or no license, no insurance, and many times a lot of drugs and impaired drivers. I have no problem with them taking those people off the road, although unfortunately a lot of those drivers continue to drive and put innocent people at risk.
You never answered my question. Who is the mayor you are accusing of instructing his chief of police to just harass people to increase the revenue to the town? That's a pretty strong accusation. I
Years ago, my neighbor was showing his parents the new town (Hackettstown) he had moved into. With his parents in the back seat he was given a ticket for 27mph in a 25mph zone on Grand Avenue. He went to court, the judge was "Hang 'em Hibler". Guilty as charged!
OnTheEdge Maybe if the cops would actually drive around more, they could get the real drunks off the road instead of sitting in their police car, looking for a tail light out whilst playing with the phone. While out and about, I see dangerous driving all the time!! I would see a lot less of this behavior if I were in one spot. A weaving, texting, crazy driver is a lot more dangerous than a tail light out.
terry page Yes, whenever I see really crazy drivers on the road, there's never a cop around within miles.
It's almost like the crazed drivers text each other and say, hey, no cops, coast is clear, when the cat's away the mice will play.
When I see somebody driving in a reckless or aggressive manner, and they actually get pulled over, it makes me very happy that they at least got one of the right people... I've only felt that twice so far... I have to hope that some of the people I see pulled over on the side of the road are also some of the "right people", but I doubt it...
Brendan Bringing this back to the top. Met a Washington cop recently and he was a complete D*CK! He is the loser that sits along 46 in the morning hiding somewhere between Hackettstown and Mt Olive and just pulls people over. Ruined my clean record. Couldn't just give a non moving violation could ya? I was polite and respectful to boot. Thanks d*ckbag. Washington cops suck.
TimeForAChange I had a clean driving record up until last summer till some idiot Mt. Olive cop gave me a careless driving ticket because he says I tailgated him in his unmarked car. I was behind him for like 5 seconds and moved to the right. Must have had nothing better to do that morning... Guess these guys don't realize they're causing the people who help pay for their salaries more money in insurance premiums for some of these petty tickets they give out. I don't think people should have to pay extra thousands over a 3 year period for something stupid. NJ sucks...
Metsman TimeForAChange-
There's no need to use such language, and quite frankly if you were breaking the law by speeding I don't see why you should be let off easy just so it doesn't ruin your "clean record".
Don't want a ticket? Slow down.
1988LJ Oh sorry LJ. Didn't mean to hurt your feelings and get your bloomers in a bunch. Was I breaking the law? Yes. But a ticket for 5 mph over the limit? Sorry but that is pure D*CK at its finest! I know you never break the law right LJ?
If you don't want the fine, don't do the crime.
I'm sure you have a working speedometer.
The washington cops on the hill from mt. olive are ridiculous - just because they have that little sliver of land they gotta be dicks. Must be the most secure plot of land in all the town LOL. Go harass your own town residents!
brown bear2 Wow LJ you're offended by pretty tame language ....you would really be offended by me then !!! Lol
Missrx "The washington cops on the hill from mt. olive are ridiculous - just because they have that little sliver of land they gotta be dicks. Must be the most secure plot of land in all the town LOL. Go harass your own town residents!"
Nailed it brown bear! Almost every morning. Guess it was bound to happen to me being I have to do the hill twice daily. Surprised it took as long as it did. At least try to not make it look like a total money grab and instead of everyday, maybe once a month? Guess these losers really have nothing to do. Scumbags.
How about putting the blame where it belongs, on the drivers breaking the motor vehicle laws, not the Police Officer doing his job.
Take responsibility for your own actions!
sosadsad 
CraftBeerBob sosadsad-
You're 100% correct. If someone gets in trouble when they have not broken the law, then it is wrong.
If you break the law and you feel entitled to less punishment because it's "not that bad", then you're wrong.
A crime is a crime.
A police officer is not a "scumbag" for punishing criminals.
Its the furthest thing from entitlement. Its called not being a total D*CK as a public servant. You got me fair and square you sneaky snake Washington pig. He should have dragged me out of the car and beat me for being such a hardened criminal. Sosad, LJ, and Crafty Bob, go back to your rocking chairs and watch the Andy Griffith show.
Dansker 
Roywhite Police give cards and badges to their friends and family for to get them off tickets like this. I find it hard to respect police as while this practice continues. It should be illegal and the organizations that make them should be closed down. It's corrupt.
John z 1988 Since when is it a cops job to "punish" anyone?? Do you comprehend that cops hate everyone who is A, not another cop or B, someone related to another cop.
My guess is, you're either related to a cop or have somehow never been stopped by a cop and treated like s**t.
Well do what eveyvyou want Sunday morning drive drunk speed swerve what ever all the cops are at the river star diner. I counted 9 police cars last time I was there.
I travel that road several times each day. I don't think there has ever been a day go by that I didn't see at least one car pulled over. Definitely a money maker.
I agree that if you go over the speed limit you have to be able to accept the consequences should you get caught. In saying that, it really does look pathetic on the part of the officer. There are certainly bigger and better things that he could be focusing on. Although we are only hearing the drivers side....maybe there were things said or an attitude which made the officer decide a ticket was well deserved. I only suggest that because I have driven behind police cars down the mountain and have gone anywhere between 5-8 miles over the limit without incident. Funny though how they never seem to be around when cars go the wrong way on the mountain,
Cash Grabin, Speed trappin..Lazy Cops...and lousy corrupt policing. Very disappointing. Shame on the MOPD and all local departments (Byram especially) that prey on hard working regular people struggling to get by and sometimes making small mistakes in driving.
Hipster All this police hatred. I suggest that everyone who dislikes police officers go one month without any police and see how fun it is.
And no, I'm not related to or friends with a cop. I just follow the laws.
no police hatred here, I assume they are just doing what they are told - hit ticket quotas to raise revenue for Washington Twp. It's a deal commonly struck between town government and its police force. It's also why if the police have an issue with the town over something, they first thing they do is slow down on the amount of these types of tickets. I'm sure most of those officers, personally don't give a sh*t if you are going 5 mph over the speed limit.
If I remember correctly, there was a similar issue with Hackettstown police sitting at the bottom of the hill by M&M. They finally raised the speed limit coming down that hill and the problem went away.
I don't think there is necessarily a hatred for police - the problem is since Christy Whitman made drastic cuts to state funding to municipalities - municipal courts have become a revenue center. The local constabulary has review metrics which include summons quotas and even court personnel are reviewed upon their ability to generate revenue... it is a sad state of affairs but the reality I am afraid.
I quite frankly feel sorry for currently employed officers who joined wanting to help people in distress - but are reduced to a revenue stream...
Skippy I don't know if this is as much a revenue grab as it is a safety issue. There are too many accidents on that road as it is. Speeding even a little allows less reaction time from the sudden entries to the road from all the poorly designed driveways and intersections. I would much rather see someone get a ticket instead of them being party to one more crash on that road.
I must be blind, I drive on Rt 46 in Mt Olive twice a day for work and I barely see anyone ever pulled over. I do however see a TON of bone-headed drivers doing a buttload of unsafe turns, cutting off other cars, speeding, weaving in and out of lanes and I often ask myself "where are the cops?!"
That stretch of road is seriously unsafe, people take chances on turns they shouldn't be making and I NEVER see them get pulled over. I say there should be more cops on that road.
earlybird27 Rt 46 in Mt Olive is a dangerous road to begin with. No shoulder in places and narrow lanes make for an interesting drive at times, especially in bad weather. Stay in the right lane unless to pass...
I have absolutely no problem with police presence on any of our roads. There are enough idiot drivers out there during any time period, rush hour or not. If you get pulled over, good. I would rather see our laws enforced than let everyone drive like they see fit. We would really be in a heap of .... if that were allowed. Everyone thinks they drive great and can handle any situation. Guess what - if that were the case there wouldn't be as many accidents out there. Stop complaining about being ticketed, maybe that saved a life or prevented a.family from being destroyed. Drive safe, obey speed limits and have a nice day!
justwondering I drove that hill every work day from 2000-2014, to work and back home and got pulled over zero times. How did I do that? I made sure to apply my brakes doing down the hill, let the speeding dopes pass me on the left and made sure to not press the accelerator too much on the way up the hill.
Thank you to the PD in all local towns for doing a job most of us don't have the guts to do.
The Rhyme Animal I'd gladly be a cop in this area. Pull over a few cars grab a free coffee mabe a domestic once in a while. Except the fact that if you don't know some one the chance of you getting a cop job is pretty slim. There corrupted as the mafia. And way to many of them for our little towns. Ofcorse they need to pull people over to justify there jobs nouthing else goes on in this town for them to do.
2 or 3 sure mabe 5 we do need them some times but 18? Seems excessive and wastefull.
And on top of it all work 20 years get 80% of there pay in a pension and then dubble dip and join the sheriff's office that should be illegal. Think about it some of these guys get 80,000 a year to do nouthing at 40-50 years old. Let the younger generation have the jobs support America not rape it like the politicians.
If 18 is all we have in Hackettstown, that's too few. We should have >50. Long Valley has about 50 and it's the safest town in NJ.
@Yep, I'm 28 and thus qualify for the "younger generation" bit, and I think it's just as if not more important that older people receive jobs. A 50 year old is much wiser and more experienced than some little kiddie right out of college.
I believe Long Valley has 27 on staff.not 50 and that is to patrol 37 miles of of our town.
Coming home from work tonight coming down the hill to Hackettstown...mount olive cop hiding at the top of the hill and a Washington swine hiding at the bottom. Come on now. If that ain't a money grab, I don't know what one is. These small town cops are beyond pathetic. Your tax dollars at work folks.
Washington Township is about 45 square miles in size. They need a lot more patrolmen than Hackettstown, which is less than 4 square miles.
Washington Twp (Morris) police also cover the borough of Califon. That's it as far as outside the township. Califon is in Hunterdon and is surrounded by Lebanon Twp which has its own police department.
1988lj
Yes it's important to provide jobs to 50 year olds. But the state provides 80% of there pay to retire for there service isn't that enough? Is that not better than your retirement package? For 20 years?. I think if you retire from law enforcement you should not be able to get another job in the same field and collecting 2 retirement packages if you go back to work your retirement benefits should stop untill you retire again. Therefore opning up jobs for the younger generation. And now tax payers are not paying 1 but 2 pensions for 1 man's work in the same field. Bull s%&t.
Yep they passed a law that you can only receive one state pension and if they go to another pension job the pension payments stop til they retire. Also the state doesn't really pay for local cops pension. That's pretty much funded by the towns and the cops. Also the state borrowed money from the pension system under Whitman and never paid it back. So I would say us tax payers are actually ahead.
"And now tax payers are not paying 1 but 2 pensions for 1 man's work in the same field"
1 man or 2 men, we still have to pay for 2 pensions regardless.
just came through and one of Washington's finest is keeping the bottom of the hill safe. /smh
http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/01/bill_would_put_armed_retired_cops_in_nj_schools.html
It's only going to get worse. Let them go cut grass or something when they retire. There are plenty of young guys fighting for a job in law enforcement. That is why you have 500 guys showing up to take the test in towns like Mount Olive and paying between $50 and $75 to take the test for 2 spots every two years.
I know, I was one of the 500.
http://www.njlawman.com/op-ed/001-nj-police-pensions.htm
interesting op ed - police officers are required to pay 8.5% of their salary into PFRS and municipalities are to match it.
https://data.nj.gov/dataset/YourMoney-Active-Pension-Members/44xg-bswk
check out some of these people making 300 +K though that are cops - wow
Connections... that's how most get to be a police officer. And you're right. About 500 applications, at $50 bucks a pop, for one opening.
sparksjbc1964 Police and fire pay 10% into their pensions, not 8.5%.
Pensions are 65% for 25 years of service, and 70% for 30+ years of service in the original tiers. New hires are 60% at 25 years of service and 65% at 30 years.
All the info is here:
http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/pensions/pdf/handbook/pfrsbook.pdf
Stop spreading misinformation.
The_Bishop Washington's finest keeping the money grab going...I mean keeping the hill really safe today hiding multiple cars at the bottom. Give it a rest already. So pathetic.
I agree on Washington Tsp sitting on the hill. Its a money grab, pure and simple. (Don't blame the officers though. Someone above them is obviously directing that enforcement approach.)
However, I disagree on the Mt Olive Tsp night shift. I come in late at night several times a week. I got stopped one time 2 or 3 years ago for rushing a red light. No ticket, just checking me out. Since then, the guys seem to know my car and often wave or flash me. I've never met a less than polite MOPD officer.
texaskeystone Simple solution to the money grab. If you don't speed up or down the hill then no one would be ticketed. As long as they are ticketing the people who don't follow the speed limits then I see nothing wrong. That hill has so many accidents from careless driving I can see their concern on speeders. Since I obey the speed limit I am happy they are trying to control the careless drivers. I can't even count all the near miss accidents I have been lucky to avoid on that hill.
The problem with the "money grab" is that the police are supposed to be on hand to maintain law and order, not to be a self funded entity or revenue source. Have there been some horrific crashes in the area that require it to have extra enforcement (beyond any other area of 46?). If not, then the problem here is that the revenue generated by the additional enforcement is being used to justify or pay for something else (probably paying the OT for this additional enforcement itself). Can you see the feedback loop here? Targeted enforcement like this means more cops which means they have to issue more tickets to pay for it, which pays for more cops which means more tickets, and so on and so on... The machine just gets bigger, and none of it is going towards their police forces actual purpose, unless you think 47 in a 45 is a serious problem.
Want a more concrete example? How did all those cop in the crosswalk stings start? Back in 2008 the feds were handing out grants to fund crosswalk stings in order to help wean the town PD's off of 9/11 DHS grants that were now winding down. Since government spending never goes down, the only way for them to get off the hook was to shift the burden elsewhere. Worked pretty well too, since a 40k grant for police overtime specific to crosswalk stings generated ~350k in tickets (actual numbers from where I lived at the time). The crosswalk laws were even amended to become more strict in 2010. The towns saw how profitable this new form of enforcement was. And now the towns fund these types of operations from the profits of previous ones, imagine that.
I suppose you can make yourself feel better by saying "just don't break the law", but it's really not that simple. People started taking the crosswalk laws seriously, so the made them more strict. And let's not forget how many towns were caught "adjusting" the duration of a yellow light at an intersection with a red light camera...
How many accidents on that hill? Serious question because I've travelled that hill nearly every day for 20 years and recall very few incidents. Driving the wrong way is what ive seen too much of, not mva's due to speed.
Those kind of statistics would be nice to see.
"I suppose you can make yourself feel better by saying "just don't break the law", but it's really not that simple. People started taking the crosswalk laws seriously, so the made them more strict."
"Law enforcement" wouldn't exist if people didn't break the law... they need to create the market for themselves. How many laws are ever revoked, relative to the laws that are created every day?
Regarding the hill... a typical car will coast down it at greater than 45 miles per hour. It's a divided highway with few (one way) entrances until you get to the bottom. No reason it couldn't safely be a 50-55 zone. Route 46 by the car dealerships is 50, and - while it is straight - there is no center median and a lot more driveways present there (so more traffic crossing multiple lanes).
Agreed JIT.
MT I can't even think of one accident. I'm sure there must have been one, but it's not a 'thing' or worse than anywhere else. There is nothing especially dangerous about that location regarding speed.
The unique thing about that spot is not the accidents, it's the grade of the hill which causes your vehicle to exceed the speed limit without braking or downshifting. People are not speeding per se, they are 'coasting' LOL.
Yes, it's everyone's responsibility follow traffic laws, but that location is just too easy to go 5 miles over the limit. It's a money grab pure and simple, not a public safety issue.
The speed limit is actually too low there. It should be 5 m.p.h. higher.
Speed limit on the hill used to 50, was changed to 45 about 25 yrs back. Rarely saw Washington cops sitting on 46 back then, there was one spot they used to sit just about opposite the used car dealer, usually around 5pm when people were coming home from work. This was before the park&ride lot and other development at the bottom of the hill were built.
If you drive down the hill, there is a memorial on the left almost at the bottom - young driver was killed a few years ago.
I also remember the other serious accident pretty recently - a fuel delivery truck coudn't stop on time at the bottom of the hill, tried to turn in U-turn to avoid hitting the traffic, turned over and spilled fuel into the creek. There was an extensive water and ground cleaning during a few months.
I drive down the hill every evening, no one goes 45, the speed of a car pack is 50-52 during evening rush hours. Cops used to this speed. If you do 60 and change lanes constantly - that's when you will be pulled over.
Lena Justi, the most serious accident I have ever seen in my lifetime on that hill (remember there's two sides, Hackettstown mountain coming down and Budd Lake hill going up.) was in the 60s. Greyhound bus rolled over the guard rails going west bound. That baby was down there a ways. I can remember standing on the side of the road (like everyone else in the area) looking over the rail (it may have been wooden) seeing the bus and the body parts. I was a young child at the time and I might not remember all the details, but I will never forget all of the activity at the scene and I will never forget seeing body parts. It wasn't cleaned up in a day, it was there for days and days. I am sure there are some others on HL who remember that accident. So, what is there now on the mountain is a cake walk compared to that day and ever since.
auntiel I live on a main road in Washington Township Morris County I work from home and from my office window three times a day I see the police pull someone over and every time the driver is black Seems like racial profiling to me
Jimmyc http://ij.org/press-release/new-jersey-civil-forfeiture-launch-release/
scholarly article on the subject.
Just a note...in the L. V PATCH, there was a detailed article about all arrests. Funny thing, they only put the names of the Hackettstown bad boys, not the Mount Olive ones. This town gets so dumped on.
Cal76 
Hot corner Agreed skippy. It's a completely despicable practice when done without conviction for a related crime.
Anybody get a speeding ticket at the bottom of the mountain from this officer?
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf/2016/06/nj_cop_charged_with_dui_resist.html#incart_most-read_
The Mt Olive police are crooked liars. My friend got pulled over by some a hole who made up a story about erratic driving. After passing a roadside sobriety test they still took him in to take a breathalyzer. They admitted the thing was broken and my friend after being asked to blow 3 time eventually blew a .076. The police said they could still charge him with dui. They were also rude and disrespectful to him. After he left they loaded him up with 3 tickets. Then he received another citation in the mail a week later which said he refused the breathalyzer which was an outright lie. All the video and evidence contradicted everything he was accused of. His lawyer advised him not to fight in court because all of the Mt Olive police are known liars and will lie under oath in court. He would only have a 40% chance of winning after spending thousands more $$$.
Its like living in a banana third world republic. What a waste of tax payer $$$$. I'd love to see a class action suit to break the already bankrupt town budget and all the useless leeches laid off.
Everyone should write to the Mt Olive chamber of commerce and say they will not patronize their restaurants because of the over zealous police.
a
anonymous 2 
Greg "Anybody get a speeding ticket at the bottom of the mountain from this officer?
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/index.ssf/2016/06/nj_cop_charged_with_dui_resist.html#incart_most-read_\"
ianimal it is hoped Washington Twp (Morris County) police officer William McCarthy III will finally get the help he needs after his latest incident in PA. He was picked up by Blairstown PD last year for DUI. He was released into the custody of Lt. Jeffrey S. Almer at the time who is now Washington Twp Chief of Police: http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2016/06/nj_cop_accused_of_drunken_mayhem_in_pa_was_busted.html
I sincerely hope this Agency finally realizes they have a problem on their hands and will take appropriate action...
Roberts Roberts - what exactly do you mean by "will get the help he needs" apparently you think he should be "provided" with help? and by whom? What "agency" do you refer? Washington PD? This guy should be summarily fired and prosecuted, period. Whether or not he seeks treatment is his problem.
Google NJ police salaries... you'll fall over. Around here, if being a cop is so "dangerous and stressful", then A) Why do they retire early, never using their vacation or sick time, which you would think help reduce the stress and B) 500-1000 applicants show up for any one opening? And pay to do so.
We had an experience with Mount Olive PD a week ago Saturday. My wife was driving, I was in the passenger seat, and we were driving through the ITC enroute to 206, we were going out to dinner. We passed a Mt Olive cop, who was on the side of the road with his lights on. sure enough, 1/2 mile later he pulled us over. He came to the passenger side door, and asked for our paperwork, and when we asked him what the problem was, he said "equipment violation". We asked what the violation was, and he said license plate obstruction. we have had a HHS Tiger football license plate frame on the truck for at least 7 years! he was very young, and he was nice. I said I will remove the license frame tomorrow, and he said you don't have to. I replied, well if it's illegal, I'm surely removing it! he let us go, when we were in the restaurant my wife said"I can't believe I got pulled over". I said" I can, think about it, it's 830 on a Saturday night and were driving through Mt. Olive. they just LOOK for a reason to pull someone over, hoping for a DUI!"
sparksjbc1964, anything can happen on any given day. It was not so many years ago that a Washington twp warren county police officer was killed. A state trooper was killed near camp Merry Heart. No lack of danger just because it's not an inner city neighborhood.
maja2 No need to ask me why I have avoided driving through Mt Olive NJ for the last thirty years.I drove through that place for many years on my commute to work.The police are ticket writing happy.
Urf Follow the $:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2016/05/where_your_ticket_payment_money_goes_funds_new_jer.html
The stretch of RT 46 in Budd Lake/Mt Olive has been documented as one the most dangerous/accident prone roads in the country! Most cops are honest and looking out for your safety. Yes every department has it's loons, but I've seen a lot more loons driving than I've ever encountered in a uniform.
As for the number of H'town officers, the call volume on a daily basis is through the roof. Yes the square footage of the town is small, but with bars and drunks, fights, domestics, break ins, neighbor complaints, burglary, car vandals, child molestation, emergency medical calls, traffic accidents, dog complaints, firework complaints, etc., etc., etc. These guys are paid to deal with all of our problems 24/7. They are the first responders whether you like them or you don't. Next time your home is invaded or your child is approached on the street, think about who You will call.
USAfirst I agree USAfirst that there are far more positives than negatives with local law enforcement, but would like to point out that officers and those running LE agencies are just people who put on a nice uniform before they go to work, not the God-like symbols that some like to put on a pedestal. Knowing that, it's quite understandable that there will be bad eggs in the lot and that at times we will encounter them in our travels.
Btw, LE agencies are like any other in that they need revenue to exist. It's a shame that some of that revenue comes from "violations" that are non-safety related and are extremely minor.
But there are extreme examples of abuse too that we should really address, mainly the confiscation laws on the books that allow LE agencies to literally steal ones property (including money) without ever having been convicted of a crime. Sad.
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