The BERKELEY Times Vol. 29 - No. 13
In This Week’s Edition
BREAKING NEWS @
jerseyshoreonline.com
Community News Pages 8-14
Dr. Izzy’s Sound News Page 12
Inside The Law Page 16
Classifieds Pages 19
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Officer Commended For His Lifesaving Bravery
By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – Officials praised a police officer who protected others by shooting an attacker, and then performed first aid to keep the attacker alive while medics arrived. On August 1, 2021, Officer Warren Black and Special Officer II Andrew Picinic responded to a senior community. An elderly woman’s nephew was having a psychiatric episode and needed help. She told police he had been behaving erratically, wandering around neighbors’ yards. He had been physically abusive in the past, and she worried it could happen again. When police arrived, the aunt was on the front porch and the nephew was inside. The police had been to this home before. There was a history of issues with the nephew, Stephen M. Carroccia, who was 36 at the time. The dispatcher had told Black, Picinic, and a
Photo by Chris Lundy Retired Berkeley police officer Gerard Morey, left, gave Officer Warren Black an Honor Coin for his service. third officer that he had “pulled a knife out of a pile of laundry in the past.” The officers tried to de-escalate Carroccia. Carroccia flinched at one of the officers as if he was going to attack, but only yelled in his face. Police continued to try to calm the Carroccia down. The man pulled out a 16” knife and came after Picinic. Officer Picinic stood between the attacker and his aunt. He managed to push him off
and hit him with a taser. Carroccia came back at Picinic with the knife when Black fired his gun at him. The three officers then performed first aid to keep him alive until the Berkeley Township First Aid Squad arrived. Earlier this year, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office determined that Black was justified in his use of force. They investigate when an officer fires their gun. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer
Police Earn Accreditation Again
said his office concluded that the use of force was legally justified. Further, it was not necessary to present this matter to the Grand Jury because there were no material facts in dispute regarding the lawfulness of the use of force. The Attorney General’s Office agreed. Police reported the events of that morning, and the prosecutor’s office did independent interviews with three neighbors, the woman who called 911, and the man who was shot. The officers were wearing body cameras. Carroccia was indicted for Attempted Murder, Possession of Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and Certain Persons Not to Have Weapons. He has been held in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest. Charges are merely accusations until proven in a court of law. There were no other injuries. (Officer - See Page 4)
September Named Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Photo by Chris Lundy Janet O’Brien speaks about the importance of raising awareness and funds for childhood cancer.
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By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – It’s become an annual tradition – because the need for it never goes away. The governing body named the month of September Childhood C a n c e r Aw a r e n e s s Month. They encour-
aged businesses to put gold ribbons in their windows – the symbol for this group of horrible illnesses that is more common than anyone would realize. During a recent Township Council meeting, Janet O’Brien and her family spoke about
how important it is to spread the word about something that no one wants to talk about, the prevalence of a disease that impacts families all over the country. Her daughter, Emiliana Rose, passed away in 2015 at just 13 years
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By Chris Lundy BERKELEY – While police depa r t ments throughout the state might have different regulations, there is a time-honored way to do things, and Berkeley’s been following that playbook for a number of years. The NJ State Association of Chiefs of Police manages an accreditation program. They are an independent organization that looks over departments and determines if they have in place the best practice standards in five basic areas: the administrative function, personnel function, the operations function, the investigative function and the arrest/detainee function. There are 112 standards that have to be met, and departments must provide 1,000 proofs. The accreditation process is a lengthy administrative undertaking that happens every three years. Berkeley has achieved five cycles of accreditation, which means that they’ve gone through the process five consecutive times. Less than 4 percent of all departments in New Jersey can claim this feat, said NJSACOP Accreditation Program Director, Harry Delgado. He spoke at a recent Tow n s h i p C o u n c i l m e e t i ng , i l lu s t r a ting the department’s
achievements. “Berkeley has an excellent police department and I’m here to validate that,” he said. Chief Kevin Santucci thanked Capt. Peter F. LaRocca and Detective Michael Riccardelli for spearheading this undertaking, in addition to all the employees who helped make this possible. He also thanked the mayor and Township Council for their support. The NJSACOP Law Enforcement Accreditation Commission adopts program standards, reviews all assessment reports and approves all recommend at ions for the granting of accredited status of applicant agencies. Accreditation is voluntary. Departments that make it through the process have policies and procedures that match top law enforcement standards. NJSACOP said that it will not ensure mistake-free policing or an absence of litigation against the police. “However, comprehensive and effective lea de r sh ip t h roug h professionally based policy development is directly influenced by a law enforcement program that is thorough, complete, and obtainable, and based on standards that reflect professional best practices.”
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