Palisades
Park police officer charged in theft to be paid while suspended
BY MONSY ALVARADO
PALISADES PARK — A police
sergeant who was charged with theft by deception and forgery earlier this month
will be paid while on suspension, Mayor James Rotundo said Thursday.
Sgt. Marc Messing, an 11-year
police veteran, was suspended on Jan. 6 after an internal affairs investigation
was conducted that led to the charges. Messing’s base salary was $119,706 in
2014.
A day after Messing was
suspended Police Chief Ben Ramos said it was up to the mayor and council to
decide if Messing would be paid while suspended. But on Thursday, Rotundo said
the initial decision to pay Messing was made by the chief, and that in the past
under similar circumstances the borough has always initially suspended with
pay. He said the mayor and council would decide later if a change was in order.
“Until we had a better handle
on exactly what was going on and whether it was serious enough to then change
it to suspension without pay,’’ he said. “And we haven’t been given any of that
yet.’’
Rotundo said the case has been
transferred over to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. John Molinelli, the
prosecutor, said the case was not transferred to his office for investigation,
but he said the complaint was probably sent to the office like all other
municipal arrests that must go through screening and prosecution.
Messing, the son of
Councilwoman Cynthia Pirrera, is being represented by Hackensack attorney
Robert Galantucci, who said earlier this week that his client has not had a
court appearance. A court date had not been set as of Thursday, according to an
employee at Bergen County Superior Court.
Messing is alleged to have
altered a $1,000 check written to the municipality and deposited the funds into
his personal account, according to a complaint summons. The summons stated that
Messing altered a check paid to the municipality by High Point Utilities by
adding a “slash and the name of Marc Messing” on the payer line. Messing, the
complaint summons stated, then deposited the check in a personal account.
Messing was sworn as a police
officer in 2003. He grew up in the borough and has served as an emergency
medical technician on the ambulance corps, and previously as a special police
officer and traffic officer.
