On the front page of the Trentonian newspaper today there was an extremely odd and poorly written article that was intended solely to disparage the reputation of Richard Kulak, myself and Frank Candela. It was a misguided attempt to advance personal interests. Since I have made a commitment to the community to have a dialogue through social media and this blog as an effort to keep you all informed, and to give you a sense of who I am and my decision making process, it seems to me that to remain silent on this would be hypocritical. So I won't, despite whatever the consequence may be.
I accepted this position as Municipal Manager with the best intentions, and the hope I could make a positive difference in the community. I go to work each day striving to meet or exceed the expectations of the elected officials who appointed me, the employees that work for me, and the residents who live in this great community in which I was raised and reside in. I respect the law...always have an always will...and would never put myself or my family in peril by violating it for any reason. People who know me...know this about me. It is articles like the one in the paper today that work to destroy my faith in others, and question why I bother to do this job.
Richard Kulak and Frankie Candela are, in my opinion, the definition of collateral damage in a continuing fight between the Township (whichever Municipal Manager is in the position at the time) and a group of misguided and unethical police officers hell bent on destroying anyone or anything that they believe stands in the way of whatever it is they think they deserve. Not to be too dramatic, but my heart genuinely aches today for Rich, his wife and child, and his parents. And for Frankie who has worked so hard to turn his life around, mentor others who struggle with addictions, and is an asset to our community (despite his poor jokes that he often tells while we eat at his restaurant...sorry Frank).
As I said in the article, Rich is a good man. Anyone that knows him, knows that he is, and I am sure they are all reaching out to him to remind him that the Trentonian is a rag newspaper, and the police officer(s) who orchestrated the article with its writer, are in my opinion, disgusting human beings. It is what it is I guess, but I am not remaining quiet about it.
Before I assumed the position of Municipal Manager for the Township, I met with my predecessor Richard Krawczun. We discussed some of the pending issues of the day involving the Township, and he generously offered his advice on them. He also told me that there were a small group of police officers that will challenge my will everyday to continue in the job. It did not take long for me to find out who they were, and that their commitment to advance their own agenda well exceeded their commitment to honor the oath they each took as police officers to serve the community.
Rich and family...and Frankie and family...I am sorry you have to go through this. It is completely unfair and I wish I could have stopped it from happening. Believe me, I tried to convince the Trentonian that it was being used and provided false information, but it unfortunately didn't sway the writer or the editor to not go forward.
I have heard on more than one occasion that I will find myself on the front page of the Trentonian if I did not give into whatever it is was demanded of me by this group of police officers. As I have said many times, I don't respond well to shakedowns, and the commitment I made to our elected officials and to this community prohibits me from compromising my integrity to make my day-to-day life as manager easier. So here were are....
The article made clear that the paper was contacted by a member of the LTPD. The screenshot sent to the writer from a computer within the police department showing a data base that included the list of many retired police officers names and information is all anyone needs to know it was an inside job (and most likely is a criminal offense), and the intention was to destroy reputations. I have little doubt that the police officer that spent the time contacting the Trentonian about the story, and then provided the writer with information...did so while he was on duty getting paid by your taxpayer money.
For the record...and to be very, very clear. Rich Kulak has never been convicted of a crime in his life. He has never been charged with a crime in his life. The insinuation in the article is sleaze journalism in my opinion. You knew the intent of the article when the writer referred to Rich's work for the township as his "side hustle." How ridiculously juvenile is that?
In order to get a license to sell firearms, you are required to go through an extensive background check by the Federal ATF Bureau. In order to work for the Township of Lawrence as a Court Officer and a Code Enforcement Officer, a background check (as everyone is required to go through) is done. Rich was issued his permit to sell firearms, and he was cleared to work within the Court and the Police Department by former Chief of Police, Mark Ubry. But now a big mystery appears about his past and his resignation from the police force. Don't fall for it people. We are dealing with an adolescent mentality from the Trentonian's "police source."
I hired Rich in 2017 to act as a court officer in our Municipal Court. When the Township made a commitment to enforce the rules of the Brush Collection Program, it decided to hire a part-time code enforcement officer to work with the residents to trouble shoot brush collection issues and brush collection violations. At the same time, our police department was operating with a manpower issue that we needed to address sooner rather than later. Hiring new police officers is a process that takes close to a year to get one out on the road patrolling.
At this time, there was a veteran detective (awesome guy by the way) that was handling the processing of gun permits and other administrative work basically full-time for the department. The work he was doing compared to the salary he was earning (and the skillset he had after years of law enforcement work) didn't sit well with me, and I am sure he preferred to get back to police work. As a result of these two issues, I felt that Rich Kulak (as a former police officer familiar with the gun permit process) provided us with an answer to fill both positions which would return a long-time detective to doing the work of a detective. The gun permit and administrative work would be performed by Rich at a significantly lessor salary which, in my opinion, was a financially prudent decision to make.
I have known Rich for years. I trust him completely. He is a good man with a good heart and a strong work ethic. I knew his training as a police officer and his disposition (easy going and respectful) would be perfect to do the job of a code enforcement officer for brush collections. Without going into too much detail, let's just say many residents are extremely passionate about their brush (and wanting the convenience to dispose of it on the street anytime they want in any amount they want) and can be "unkind" at times if told they can't...so it was important to have someone that could handle that type of situation.
Rich had a landscaping business for years (another reason why he seemed perfect for the brush enforcement job) and cut my grass at my law office in town. When I moved back to Lawrence 7 years ago, he began to cut my grass at my residence where I had my private law office. I made sure that he submit an invoice to me and that I pay him by check for each time he cut my grass. I was the Municipal Court Judge at the time...and this was just something I was always conscious of doing. Ethics was never to be compromised.
When he was hired (by me after being cleared by Chief Ubry) to be the part-time code enforcement officer and work part-time in the police department, he continued to cut my grass, invoice me, and I would pay him by check. When the writer for the Trentonian confronted me with the concern "by many in Town that Rich cut my grass as a quid pro quo for working at the Township," I was not too surprised because this very same "fake" issue that came up in a municipal campaign. There wasn't "many" people concerned, it was a candidate running for office that had the "concern." I explained this all publicly at a council meeting and in a FB post. Despite telling the Trentonian writer that Rich was paid by check for each lawn cut as he has been for years, the writer felt the need to put it in his article to keep his "narrative" going. To hell with my reputation and integrity.
As for the investigation of Rich regarding a road rage incident, I believe the article produced enough facts to allow everyone to understand the situation that had occurred, and that there are two sides to the story. No charges have been filed and no charges are expected to be filed. I felt it was prudent that, based upon the incident and the allegations, to suspend Rich until we had a better understanding of the incident, and we will restore his work status once the investigation is concluded and the matter is closed.
The Trenton PD is working through that investigation. I will defer to Rich's attorney, Raymond Staub, Esq., for any other comment on it.
Customarily these incidents are investigated and never make the papers unless charges are filed. Unfortunately for Rich (and his family) and Frankie, a police officer within the department got wind of the incident and seized the moment to attack, and the Trentonian obliged as it normally does. I still can't figure out how or why the arrest of 3 police officers last week or the officers from the PBA who are suing the Township even made it in the article at the end...and why the writer said, "all these chickens are coming home to roost." It is quite interesting and yet disturbing at the same time.
Writing this article isn't easy for me, and I am sure it isn't easy for the community to have to read. To hear about negative issues happening within the police department isn't something anyone wants to hear...but this is what transparency looks like. It is not always positive stuff. It is real life.
Chief Brian Caloiaro is a very good, honest and hard working police chief and there are many good, ethical and honest men and women within our police department. Please do not lose faith in the LTPD. Everyday these good police officers work hard for the community, and are challenged to keep motivated despite the internal strife that has been created by a few in their ranks. I support them 100%. As with all difficult issues, we will work through them, and continue to do our best.
