Press release from Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office
Update as of Tuesday Aug. 21, 1:45 p.m.:
Monroe Township Chief of Police, John McKeown, issued a statement via the MTPD Facebook page listed below:
“By now you have probably read in the news that one of our officers was charged with official misconduct by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. What has been neglected from several news reports is that Monroe Township Police Department assisted in this investigation.
Monroe Township Police Department is committed to serving the public while upholding the Constitution and high ethical standards. To accomplish our mission we comply with the New Jersey Attorney General Guidelines and Directives. Since 2014 our agency has gone above these baseline requirements and have been accredited by the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police.
To comply with these standards and maintain transparency, as serious situations come to our attention, our agency has and will continue to consult with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office for guidance and direction.
I humbly ask that you not judge our agency by the allegations made against one of our members. We have approximately 80 sworn and civilian employees who are dedicated to serving you. Feel free to talk to them about their service in your encounters with them. What they sacrifice on a daily basis may surprise you.
Sincerely,
John McKeown
Chief of Police”
Monroe Township Police Officer Sgt. Jody Collins has been criminally charged by the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office with a pattern of official misconduct, official misconduct and computer crimes following a five month investigation assisted by the Monroe Township Police Department.
Collins, a member of the Monroe Township Police Department since 1998, surrendered at the GCPO offices on Thursday, Aug. 17, and was released pending a first appearance in Gloucester County Superior Court, Woodbury on Sept. 27. He was initially suspended with pay on April 25, and was suspended without pay on Aug. 17.
According to the charges, Collins, while acting in his capacity as an officer with the Monroe Township Police Department, did misuse a law enforcement database and provide information learned from the database to civilians for their benefit.
Additionally, according to the charges, Collins engaged in sexual activity while on duty, provided personal identifying information concerning identifiable persons to aid in a local repossession business, provided finances to settle a drug debt with an individual known to sell controlled dangerous substances and provided information related to police activity so that individuals may avoid apprehension.
Monroe Township Police has referred comments to the prosecutor’s office at this time.
