On duty police captain sleeping, on film, again...

[Sysman]

This is turning into quite the local news story, it was covered on local TV news tonight, including New York and Phila. It all started yesterday when someone, most think a Trenton cop, set up a web site, http://www.captsleepy.com , and posted a link on the NJ.COM Trenton forum. Both the local Trenton newspapers picked it up and ran front page stories today. This isn't the first time he was filmed sleeping on duty, he did the same thing a few yerars ago, and it made the front page then also!

The new web site, and several Trenton officers posting on the forum, say nothing will happen to him, again, because of favoritism in the TPD. They say if your "in" with the police director, you can do whatever you want. But if you're one of the "disgruntled few" officers, that argue with the way the director runs the dept, then you're written up for the smallest infraction, or transferred, or suspended...

I happen to think the "disgruntled few" are correct. First, the dircetor came from Newark. While he was there crime skyrocketed. He quit and went to work for the New Jersey State Police. THEY FIRED HIM! But since he's "good friends" with the mayor of Trenton, they got stuck with him. And since he's been in Trenton, the gangs have grown, the body count climbs, and once again crime is taking off like the space shuttle!

And second, there are several documented cases of officers being transferred, or suspended, for doing nothing more than telling the truth. I followed one Last year, a long time officer was suspended after he setup another web site, criticizing the director. He quit and went to work for the county sheriff...

Some think the capt. may have dug his grave this time. One can only hope...

Seems like the number of "disgruntled few" is growing. Man, these boys just don't like their captain

It must be nice to be able to volunteer for an overtime shift, at $70.00 an hour of taxpayer money, and take a snooze...



http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...600.xml&coll=5

The catnapping cop from YouTube is back on Web
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
BY EVA LOAYZA

TRENTON -- Just months after a 3-year-old video of Capt. Paul Messina sleeping while on duty was posted on YouTube, a picture of Messina allegedly nap ping on the job last month has made its way to the Web.

A link to the picture was anonymously posted on the nj.com forum yesterday. The link directs users to the following e-mail address: www.captsleepy.com.

n the picture, Messina is asleep on a chair with his head tilted back and his arms resting across his stomach. The captain's back is to the desk.

There is no date on the picture, but it was allegedly taken on June 24, when, the Web posting claims, Messina was supposed to be monitoring a computer that shows police vehicle positions and another computer that shows all current and pending police assignments.

Police Spokesman Pedro Me dina said the administration was made aware of the picture last week by an officer. The matter has been referred to the internal affairs bureau for further investigation.

Medina would not confirm the date the picture was taken or Mes sina's duties that day, saying those questions are part of the ongoing investigation.

An attempt to reach Messina was blocked by Medina, who said it would not be appropriate for the officer to comment because he is part of the investigation.

This is the second time images of Messina allegedly sleeping on the job have been posted on the Internet.

The first instance involved images from a video shot in November 2003 that were posted on the YouTube Web site in January. The video showed then Lt. Messina asleep in a chair with his feet propped up on a desk.

Back in January, police officers said Messina was the "docketing lieutenant" the night the video was filmed. Messina was responsible for the lockup, which involved monitoring the safety of prisoners through closed circuit television.

The department said Messina was disciplined for that incident, but officials refused to disclose what form that discipline took.

As for the current alleged case of sleeping on the job, Medina said all evidence, past and present, will be taken into account, and the appropriate action will be taken. He would not say what other evidence the department has compiled.

The written posting accompanying the latest picture alleged that Police Director Joseph Santi ago gives preferential treatment to Messina and that the captain would likely receive a much softer punishment than another officer would for the same offense.

The posting also claims Messina was working a voluntary overtime assignment that day.

In January, Santiago told The Times that Messina had worked a double shift the night he fell asleep and admitted in an internal hearing that he was guilty. "We dealt with it. It's ancient history to us," Santi ago told The Times at that time.

Medina said police are asking anyone with information about the incident to contact Capt. Brian Amantia, of internal affairs, at (609) 989-4100.

Contact Eva Loayza at eloay za@njtimes.com or (609) 989-5717.

[Sysman]

Here's a fresh update...

http://blog.nj.com/timesupdates/2007..._nightmar.html

Sleeper' photo creates nightmare for Trenton
Posted by The Times of Trenton July 10, 2007 11:14PM
Categories: Crime, News

TRENTON -- A former city police internal affairs commander charges that the police captain shown napping at his station in a photo posted on the Internet this week was never disciplined for a similar incident that happened four years ago.

The police department is investigating the photo that allegedly shows Capt. Paul Messina asleep in a chair. The picture comes just months after a 4-year-old video of then Lt. Messina, asleep in a chair with his feet propped up on a desk, was posted on the YouTube Web site.

The former commander, who declined to have his named published, said Messina's first sleeping offense, in 2003, did not result in any punishment that he knew of by Police Director Joseph Santiago. He said the report was delivered to Santiago but never sent back to internal affairs with any action to be taken. "I never saw it again," the now retired commander said.

But Santiago said Tuesday that Messina received a written reprimand back in 2003. The director said he did not comment on the penalty when asked about it by a Times reporter back in January because the matter was four years old.

See Wednesday's Times for more on this story.

Contributed by Eva Loayza