Allegations of cheating during a New Jersey police sergeant exam in March have led to law enforcement associations calling for an investigation.
The state Civil Service Commission, which oversees the hiring and promotions of government-funded employees, has been requested by officials representing officers and police chiefs to withhold the results of the test, which are typically released by mid-October, until more information is made available.
Andrew Caggiano, president of the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police, said in a statement that the group originally reported the cheating allegations to the CSC and is calling on the three-member independent administrative state agency to lead a thorough investigation “to ensure this exam remains a credible method to assess law enforcement and the potential for promotion.”
On Monday morning, the president of the New Jersey State Police Benevolent Association released a statement saying allegations of “cheating and dishonest test taking practices” were also brought to them and were reported to the CSC, but they have yet to receive any updates about an investigation.
“There hasn’t been much transparency or communication regarding the allegations or how the CSC would address them,” Peter Andreyev, president of NJSPBA, said in a statement. “While we understand the importance of the timely scoring of examinations and releasing of results, we believe it is equally important to ensure that the fairest results are provided.”
A release date for the test results has not been announced, and further delays could impact promotions and hirings, Andreyev said.
The CSC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
BOSTON — New Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Col. Geoffrey Noble will do a complete review of the agency’s academy training model following the recent death of recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia, Noble said Friday shortly after he was sworn in, though he stopped short of promises to completely overhaul the troubled agency’s leadership.
Gov. Maura Healey administered Noble’s oath at the Statehouse on Friday morning, concluding 18 months of interim leadership at the State Police after Col. Christopher Mason retired in February 2023.
“The Massachusetts State Police will deliver excellent police services, build and maintain public trust and enforce the law with fairness, compassion, equity, transparency and accountability,” Noble said Friday.
“Trust between our department and the community must be strong and unwavering. That accountability and that trust starts with me. I must first earn your trust, and I’m committed to have the resolve to do whatever it takes to earn and maintain that trust.”
The department that Noble is now in charge of has been thrust into a glaring spotlight a number of times in recent years. Over the past few months, the State Police was in both local and national headlines when a trooper’s crude text messages were read aloud on the stand during the widely-watched Karen Read murder trial.
A Karen Read supporter was outside the Statehouse on Friday with a “Free Karen Read” sign as Noble and other State Police walked in for the ceremony.
Most recently, the agency has been in the news because of the death of Delgado-Garcia, and subsequent allegations of hazing and intense conditions at the training academy.
Noble said Friday he had not been officially briefed on the investigation into the recruit’s death yet, but that he is aware of the situation and a deeper briefing is shortly forthcoming.
“We absolutely are going to do a complete review,” he said, when asked about his first action in respect to the academy, “and work together with the staff of the Massachusetts State Police, with (the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security), with the governor’s office. and what that review looks like, we will be transparent.”
A reporter asked Noble if he planned to replace any of the existing command staff. Noble is the first superintendent chosen to lead the State Police without having been an existing member of the force. Healey was the first governor able to take advantage of that allowance from a 2020 policing reform law.
“I do want to be clear, I come into this from an extraordinarily high level of respect to the women and men of the Massachusetts State Police,” Noble said. He added, “That said, I do look forward to working with the command staff and all the staff over the next several weeks and months.”
In his first few months, Noble said he feels his most important job will be to “talk to stakeholders,” including those who don’t have positive opinions of the State Police.
A reporter asked Healey about the 18-month search for a new superintendent, and why she landed on Noble — who spent 27 years with the New Jersey State Police, most recently as its lieutenant colonel — in light of a recent probe into the New Jersey agency that found decades-long patterns of discrimination.
Probes from New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin found women and minority troopers were passed up for promotions to top positions, as well as reports of racist comments and ignored requests for equitable treatment, the New Jersey Monitor reported.
Platkin said the findings “revealed deeply troubling conduct and systemic problems,” the Monitor said.
“Well, this was the subject of an extensive search process that included a renowned panel on our search committee,” Healey said. “Everything was reviewed, and we have the opportunity to review, personally, everything, and the lieutenant governor and I are quite confident in Colonel Nobel and the job that he will do.
“He has a terrific record of proven leadership, including at the New Jersey State Police, and I know that that will carry through here in Massachusetts.”
Noble, also responding to a question about the recent reports out of New Jersey, said he will “work tirelessly” to build a culture at the Massachusetts State Police “that is built on equity, inclusion and respect for all, and an opportunity for all.”
“A healthy organization is one whose men and women who serve in that department feel that they belong, feel that they are supported, feel that they can come work at an agency, regardless of their background or their experience, but once they become, in this case, a Massachusetts state trooper, they’ve earned that right,” he said.
PEDRICKTOWN, N.J. (CBS) — Columbus Blue Jackets player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother were killed in a crash Thursday night in Salem County, New Jersey, State Police confirmed to CBS News Philadelphia.
Gaudreau, 31, and his 29-year-old brother Matthew were riding bicycles on County Route 551 in Oldmans Township, Salem County, on Thursday night when they were struck by a man driving a Jeep.
Police said the driver, 43-year-old Sean Higgins of Woodstown, New Jersey, attempted to pass a slower vehicle when he hit the Gaudreau brothers, who were riding along the right side of the road.
Jim Gaudreau, the uncle of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau, released a statement on behalf of their family:
“Last night we lost two husbands, two fathers, two sons, two brothers, two sons and brothers in law, two nephews, two cousins, two family members, two teammates, two friends but truly two amazing humans.
“We want to let everyone know we are receiving your messages of love and support and we appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers. We ask for your continued respect and privacy during this very difficult period of grief.
“From all our families and the bottom of our hearts (the Gaudreau, Morris, Korbitz, Venello and Joyce Families)”
Johnny Gaudreau’s wife Meredith posted a tribute on Instagram on Saturday.
“Thank you for the best years of my life,” she captioned the post along with a slideshow of family photos. “Despite losing you, I am still the luckiest girl in the world to have been yours. I love you so so much. You were perfect.”
The couple had two children, Noa and Johnny.
The Blue Jackets confirmed the Gaudreaus’ deaths in a post on X.
“The Columbus Blue Jackets are shocked and devastated by this unimaginable tragedy,” the Blue Jackets said in a statement. “Johnny was not only a great hockey player, but more significantly a loving husband, father, son, brother and friend. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to his wife, Meredith, his children, Noa and Johnny, his parents, their family and friends on the sudden loss of Johnny and Matthew.”
Columbus Blue Jackets statement on the passing of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew. pic.twitter.com/V2aFykgKIs
A South Jersey native known as “Johnny Hockey” who grew up a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers, Johnny Gaudreau played for the Little Flyers, a youth hockey organization based in Aston, Pennsylvania, starting at the PeeWee level in 2004 and continuing into the 2008-09 season. Matthew Gaudreau played for the Little Flyers in 2007-08 and 08-09.
Both brothers played for Boston College, and Johnny won the Heisman Trophy of college hockey, the Hobey Baker Award, in 2014. Johnny also contributed to BC’s NCAA championship win in 2012.
Matthew and Johnny Gaudreau at TD Garden on February 10, 2014 in Boston.
Richard T Gagnon / Getty Images
“Johnny Gaudreau was not only one of the greatest players in the history of Boston College hockey but one of the nicest as well. Matthew was a gifted player who was equally beloved by his teammates,” a BC spokesperson told WBZ-TV.
A speedy lefthanded shooter who played on the wing, Johnny Gaudreau was nearly a career point-per-game player, notching 743 points — 243 goals and 500 assists — over 763 games in the NHL. He set a career high in goals in the 2021-22 season, his last with the Flames, when he scored 40 goals and 75 assists for 115 points. He was a plus-64 player that season.
Both Johnny and Matthew went to Gloucester Catholic High School in Gloucester City, New Jersey, and both played hockey there. Matthew served as coach of the Gloucester Catholic hockey team after a five-year pro career.
“Johnny and Matt were incredible hockey players and students, but even more amazing human beings,” GC Principal Thomas Iacovone, Jr. said in a statement. “Their loss will be felt forever by the entire Gloucester Catholic community and by me personally.”
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a statement that said in part:
“While Johnny’s infectious spirit for the game and show-stopping skills on the ice earned him the nickname ‘Johnny Hockey,’ he was more than just a dazzling hockey player; he was a doting father and beloved husband, son, brother and teammate who endeared himself to every person fortunate enough to have crossed his path.
“Gaudreau often told the story of how his father taught him to skate as a child in his home state of New Jersey and he carried that same youthful passion throughout his 11 NHL seasons. A skilled playmaker, Gaudreau participated in the NHL All-Star Game seven times where he was always a fan favorite, particularly while showcasing his talents in the various skills competitions for which he was so well suited.”
Johnny was in the area for his sister Katie’s wedding.
Philadelphia-area residents pay tribute to Gaudreau
On Friday, a makeshift memorial was forming at Hollydell Ice Arena in Sewell, New Jersey, where the Gaudreaus’ father, Guy, is the hockey director. Some left hockey sticks and flowers outside the building.
CBS News Philadelphia
A memorial was also growing at the scene of the crash on County Road 551 as well. Wayne Bumm stopped by to leave flowers. He said he was coached by the Gaudreaus’ father, Guy at Williamstown High School.
“Johnny was just a young kid when I knew him, but just watching him play over the years and making the success he had was the greatest thing that I could watch on TV,” Bumm said. “He was a great guy.”
Driver in custody
The crash happened at the intersection of Auburn Road and Stumpy Lane in Pedricktown after 8 p.m. The brothers were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, a New Jersey state trooper who responded to the scene and interacted with Higgins smelled alcohol on his breath.
Sean Higgins is charged with the deaths of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Gaudreau.
Salem County Correctional Facility
“Mr. Higgins stated that he had consumed approximately 5-6 beers prior to the accident. I administered Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, to which he failed,” a trooper wrote in the document.
“Mr. Higgins admitted to consuming alcoholic beverages prior to and while operating his vehicle,” the trooper wrote.
Higgins was detained under suspicion he was under the influence of alcohol and charged with two counts of death by auto. He was taken to the Salem County Correctional Facility.
A map showing the approximate location of a fatal crash that killed two people riding bicycles in Pedricktown, New Jersey.
CBS News Philadelphia
This is a developing story. Stay with CBS News Philadelphia for updates.
Joe Brandt has been a digital content producer for CBS News Philadelphia since 2022. He is a Temple University graduate and was born and raised in Pitman, NJ.
NORTH ANDOVER — Two people are dead following an incident Monday evening at a home at 201 Turnpike St. (Route 114), according to the District Attorney’s Office.
One person was reportedly found dead at the home while the second individual, who was seriously injured, died later at an area hospital, according to the office of District Attorney Paul Tucker.
Initial reports indicated the two people involved were a mother and a small child, possibly an infant, and that a stabbing occurred. The DA’s Office did not elaborate, saying only it was an “isolated incident” and there was no threat to the public.
The DA’s Office announced the first death shortly before 7 p.m. while the second was not announced until close to 9 p.m. The office also said no further information would be released until further notice as the incident continued to be investigated.
Police, firefighters and ambulance personnel first responded to the home about 5:15 p.m.
There was no immediate arrest or search for a suspect, and police blocked off Turnpike Street. The intersection of Turnpike Street and Route 133 to the Bertucci’s intersection was blocked off as authorities continued to investigate.
State troopers and a crime scene services processing and evidence collection team were called to the home along with investigators from the District Attorney’s Office.
Officers from Andover, North Andover and Massachusetts State Police responded, lining the busy route during rush hour traffic. An ambulance arrived at the home about 7 p.m.
Police stretched caution tape around the front lawn and two white cars, one of which was parked across the lawn near the front door. Red tape crime scene was later stretched across the parking lot to the left of the house.
Police gathered in the street while family members waited near the garage toward the rear of the house. The home’s front door was wide open.
More relatives began arriving at 6 p.m. and throughout the hour. Family members were later brought to another location. A woman could be heard crying and screaming hysterically outside the home.
A North Andover fire ladder truck blocked the front of the house. Crowds tried to make sense of what was happening across the street, waiting outside Burger King’s parking lot.
Police began to move people farther back into the parking lot, asking them to show respect for the people involved.
Officers at the scene declined comment and said a statement would be released later. Authorities asked the public to stay away from the area as they investigated.
201 Turnpike St. is a seven-room, three-bedroom home that last sold in November 2022, according to town assessing records. The owner is listed as 201 Turnpike Street LLC.
This is a developing story. Check back at eagletribune.com for updates.
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By Jill Harmacinski and Angelina Berube | Staff Writers
