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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Police Fire Sale: The Best Promotion Money Can Buy


Chief Wayman & Sgt. McErlean
     On Monday morning the Westfield Police Department held a ceremony to publicly acknowledge the promotions of three officers and the appointment of another to the department. 
     Sgt. Jason McErlean was promoted to sergeant two years ago while Sgt. Joseph Costanzo and Sgt. John Tango were recently elevated to sergeant after the two were allegedly ranked number one and two on a list of candidates generated after the last promotional testing for the rank of sergeant. 


      
Chief Wayman & Sgt. Costanzo
     Costanzo was hired the same day, 2/10/88, as Chief Dave Wayman and both attended the Union County Police Academy as recruits in 1988 while forging a friendship that has paid off in more ways than one.  
     John Tango was hired as a police officer on 7/15/05, six months after his cousin Nicole Tango had been hired, by then police chief Barney Tracy, on 1/17/05.  The Linden connection did not stop there as Tracy had hired the son of then Linden school's superintendent Joseph Martino on 7/15/04 and another Linden resident, Marcin Kapka, on 7/21/03.   
     Prior to his anticipated retirement from the Westfield police department, the disgraced police chief Barney Tracy was hired by Linden Superintendent J. Martino where he is currently employed as school security.  When hired by Linden, Tracy worked under Sgt. John Tango's father, a retired Elizabeth police officer.  Police officer Joe Martino (same name as father/former Linden superintendent) is no longer employed by the Town of Westfield.

Chief Wayman & Sgt. John Tango
      John Tango allegedly scored a 99 out of a possible 100 on the sergeant's exam closely followed by Costanzo.  Costanzo was listed above Tango when the final rankings were posted inside the police department, due to seniority points that were added to Costanzo's score based on his 24 years with the department. 
     During promotion ceremonies, Chief Wayman had stated that while assigned to the detective bureau, Costanzo "Really became the go-to person, umm, in the detective bureau." Umm, watch video by clicking on the following link: http://westfield.patch.com/articles/westfield-police-department-honors-sargeants-and-new-hire#video-9927012 

     Promotion to the rank of detective is made by the police chief with no testing required.

     Prior to testing for the rank of sergeant, both Costanzo and John Tango allegedly attended a "study group" course run by West Caldwell's police chief Michael Bramhall. Go to the following link to view M. Bramhall Associates, LLC.     http://njpolicepromo.com/about_us.html
     These "study groups" typically provide officers, for a fee, study guides and practice exams that allegedly include questions and answers that have been administered on past exams.  A source has confirmed that there is speculation within the rank and file within the Westfield police department that test scores were "bought" as a result of candidates paying to attend a study group where answers to test questions were allegedly provided through course material.
     A Google search of "police promotion prep course" revealed numerous sites that provide what one site states, "The latest, up to-to-date testing material available."
     Officers have confirmed that some prep courses have provided the answers to questions frequently found on promotional exams.
     Sgt. Costanzo and Sgt. Tango are currently assigned to the police department's detective bureau along with Lt. Ricerca.  The Westfield police department's detective bureau now has 3 supervisors to supervise 3 detectives.  Sgt. McErlean is currently assigned to the department's traffic bureau.      
     Sgt. Tango's cousin Nicole (Tango) Stivale was appointed to "plainclothes detective" and currently works in the department's records bureau.  Sources have confirmed that "plainclothes detective" Nicole (Tango) Stivale is not engaged in any day to day detective work but supplements the civilian secretarial staff of the police department at an annual salary in excess of approximately $90,000 + benefits.
  
     Cost of attending a promotional prep course, $2000 - $3000.

     Watching Westfield Police Chief Dave Wayman, master of ceremony, giving his take on the future of the police department and the sacrifices made by each candidate to be promoted...................PRICELESS.

     The future of the W.P.D. is in the best hands...................... money can buy. 

17 comments:

  1. We don't get it. Is this some kind of inside joke for Westfield cops only? Sort of like "...so they spackled the crack!" at the Plumber's Convention?

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    1. Spackled the crack might be a joke at a sheetrockers convention. The inside joke at a plumber's convention might be sort of like ".....have they found the leak in the WPD yet?"

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    2. Exactly my point. If you were at the Convention you'd know what Plumber's Crack is. If you were a cop you'd care what Kasko is talking about.

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  2. So much for the anti-nepotism hiring rule in Westfield

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  3. I got it and I'm not a cop.

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  4. It's promotions like these that echo the corrupt Tracy regime and won't allow the WPD to cleanse itself of the cronyism that was prevelant while Tracy was in charge.

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  5. The name of this blog should be WCAECCHTWADNTFTP,
    Westfield Cops And Ex-Cops Come Here To Whine And Do Nothing To Fix The Problems.
    ---
    You guys have the worst morale in the state. You’re even still bitchin about things all the way back to Tracy! DO something about it!

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    Replies
    1. Reality sucks

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    2. Until the department is pointed in the right direction, and that means being led by someone other than a Tracy clone, the cronyism and corruption will continue and so will the bitching.

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    3. "Whine and do nothing to fix the problem?" you obviously have your head in the closet. Parizeua had more grievances filed by subordinates so that we could fix the problems he created. I don't see it as whinining, I see it as doing something about it in a way where the town can't muzzle anyone.

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  6. Hey, what the heck, if Tango can go from being handcuffed in the backseat of a NJ State Trooper cruiser not too long ago to sergeant, there is still hope for all. It's amazing how he gets into a road rage incident, gets locked up, cries apology, a phone call gets made, and he is un-arrested? Should of been fired.

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    1. Hey Uncle Barney pissed on a lawn....punched the homeowner in the face.....fled the scene.....attempted to elude police....and showed up with a bag of cash raised under the falsehood of legal defense fund..and was never charged with any internal affairs complaint....guess old Johnny Boy had a good teacher.....

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    2. Nah, you got it wrong. His son urinated on the lawn and Uncle Barney socked em' in the schnozzola and then fled the scene but not before he changed shirts with junior and had junior take the wheel while Uncle Barney hid on the floor until the Readington cops got em'. And don't forget the time him and his sidekick McCullough went to a basketball game in Newark and caused a riot to break out. Heard they smashed through the security gate and the detective car disappeared for repairs

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  7. Is Mr Gildea this arrogant or ignorant that he didn't think this pattern would matter when he The Mayor named Chief Wayman?

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    Replies
    1. Town Administrator Jim Gildea makes a recommendation to the town council and the town council votes on the recommendation.

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  8. How does Sgt. Tango get away with stopping cars for tinted windows when his own personal car has tinted windows?

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  9. Yup, definately WCAECCHTWADNTFTP.

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