Police Union Leaders Point Blame At J.C. Official
JERSEY CITY, N.J. (1010 WINS) - A deal to save police jobs in Jersey City was a little less likely to go through, after some remarks by the city's business administrator this week.
Police union head Jerry DeCicco said the timing couldn't be any worse. "We're getting to the point where, hey you know what, we may be able to something that's very unprecedented here in New Jersey to save police officers' jobs," he said.
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Disparaging comments from Administrator Jack Kelly, DeCicco said, may have derailed a tentative deal that may have kept all 82 cops slated for layoffs on the job.
The rank and file were supposed to vote on the proposal next week. Kelly railed on the police and fire unions at a taxpayer forum saying "God forbid we reduce police and fire. You're going to hear both of those organizations say the sky is falling if we were to reduce any of those organizations."
"We were all dumbfounded by his bizarre comments," DeCicco said. "We'll see, I mean we don't know what will happen."
"The comments that he made was extremely malicious and we believe was intentionally an attempt to derail this good-faith effort," he said.
DeCicco said many cops lost faith and trust in the city, and may vote "no."
"There's a lack of trust now and I think that's what's probably the most discouraging part of this," DeCicco said.
Mayor Jeremiah Healy said Kelly was a hired hand who does not speak for Jersey City.
