Interlaken Resident Files Lawsuit
By DON STINE
A lawsuit was filed in Monmouth County Superior Court this week by an Interlaken resident claiming borough officials withheld critical information and documentation from the public while deciding the fate of the borough’s small police department.
“The lawsuit is aimed at the illegal process, not the decision,” said Robert Napoli, a former councilman who hired a firm specializing in Open Public Meetings Act law to file the suit.
In a press release disclosing information about the suit, Napoli claims the borough conducted important meetings in private and “behind closed doors” which, in turn, made it necessary to seek legal action.
“Our knowledge was limited. Taxpayers demand accountability, leadership and responsible government,” he said in the statement.
The lawsuit alleges a series of illegal meetings and a denial of records which kept the public from witnessing the deliberative process regarding the future of the borough’s police department. This in turn, “derailed the process” by limiting public input, disclosure and facts, the statement said.
Interlaken Mayor Robert Wolf III said he had no first-hand knowledge about the lawsuit and could not comment without seeing it.
“I have not seen anything regarding the suit but I am interested in seeing it, whatever it may be,” he said.
The lawsuit seeks no monetary damages but more open access to borough public records and meetings.
“We want deliberations in public. No more behind closed doors and in secret. We don’t want to jump through hoops for information,” Napoli said when contacted on Tuesday.
Napoli said in the statement that even though the Borough Council knew residents favored sharing police services with Allenhurst, the governing body willingly created a “sham” by introducing an ordinance to disband the police department and potentially contract serves with neighboring Ocean Township knowing residents would disapprove any contract with Ocean Township.
Napoli said that a 90-page report was submitted by the borough to the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office in February- a report that outlined a rebuilding plan for the police department.
The report was not publicly released until the day the lawsuit was filed, the statement says.
“Apparently they had already made up their minds in February about the future of the police department,” Napoli said.
A year ago the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office took over control of the police department and investigated records pertaining to the firearms qualifications of several officers on the force.
A police sergeant, who was heading the police department after the chief retired in the summer, eventually pled guilty to tampering with the qualification records and had to pay a $1,000 fine and give up his police position.
This left the department with four officers but none with the qualifications to lead it.
The police department has been working out of trailers placed on the street behind Borough Hall.
On April 2 the council unanimously voted to keep the police department after an overwhelming number of residents vocally opposed dismantling the department at the public hearing.
The council was to vote that night on an ordinance to disband the department and possibly contract with services from Ocean Township.
Napoli is represented by the Walter Luers firm- a firm with extensive experience in Open Public Meetings Act law. He said he is confident he will win this suit and invites other interested presidents to get involved.
“Secrecy in public affairs undermines the public’s right to be effective and residents are fed up with these criminal probes and misinformation,” he said.
Napoli claims limited knowledge and misinformation have led to the state of affairs in Interlaken.
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