Parades and other events
Dear North Bergen Township,
Please accept this electronic request for public records made under OPRA and the common law right of access. I am not required to fill out an official form or use a particular software platform to submit my request per NJSA 47:1A-6(f), which states that an email from a requestor including all of the information required on the adopted form shall suffice in place of a completed form as a valid government record request.
I HAVE NOT been convicted of any indictable offense under the laws of New Jersey, any other state, or the United States.
I WILL NOT use the requested government records for a commercial purpose.
I AM NOT seeking records in connection with a legal proceeding.
Records requested:
Curious how the same guys get the same parades and other events at the rec, library and Sunday events.
This past Sunday I’m requesting who worked the Dominican parade on Bergenline Ave. I would like to know who received OT and compensation time.
There is another parade coming up. It should be in an email and a list should be made. Same guys get it everytime while patrol gets 0! That’s it. We are sick of it.
We need a email to go out for every event requesting guys to work not the same people in schools, traffic and training.
Det. Benitez has over 150 comp days and 100 comp hours from what I’ve heard! How is that possible that he is still getting comp time and is able to rack up all this time while patrol can’t even get OT or a comp hour!
Has to stop. So again
I’m requesting who worked Sunday and who received OT and compensation time thank you
And also going forward we want a email to be sent out for events. First it was details now events. NOPE. If this doesn’t get fixed, the same thing will happen like it with details. Be smart chief! Do the right thing. Stop giving the same 6-10 people everything. Especially when they are not your “real friends”
My preferred delivery method for response(s) to this request is by E-mail as attachments. Please confirm you have received this request. If you are not the custodian of records, please forward my request to that person and provide their email address to me for future reference.
Yours faithfully,
Done with the BS
Good Afternoon,
The Township of North Bergen (the “Township”) received your request dated 09/23/2025 under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq.
“Records requested:
Curious how the same guys get the same parades and other events at the rec, library and Sunday events. This past Sunday I’m requesting who worked the Dominican parade on Bergenline Ave. I would like to know who received OT and compensation time. There is another parade coming up. It should be in an email and a list should be made. Same guys get it every time while patrol gets 0! That’s it. We are sick of it. We need a email to go out for every event requesting guys to work not the same people in schools, traffic and training. Det. Benitez has over 150 comp days and 100 comp hours from what I’ve heard! How is that possible that he is still getting comp time and is able to rack up all this time while patrol can’t even get OT or a comp hour! Has to stop. So again I’m requesting who worked Sunday and who received OT and compensation time thank you And also going forward we want a email to be sent out for events. First it was details now events. NOPE. If this doesn’t get fixed, the same thing will happen like it with details. Be smart chief! Do the right thing. Stop giving the same 6-10 people everything. Especially when they are not your “real friends”
The Township responds:
Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A5(g), requests for information and ambiguous statements are not valid OPRA requests ((MAG Entm’t, LLC v. Div. of Alcohol Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534 (App. Div. 2005); Bent v. Stafford Police Dep’t, 381 N.J. Super. 30 (App. Div. 2005)). Your request fails to identify a specific record sought. To the extent that your request refers to police personnel assignments, a duty assignment is exempt pursuant to 47:1A-9 ((N.J. Admin. Code § 13:1E-3.2) duty assignment, overtime data, operational techniques)) Your request is denied.
You requested the same records under the common law. Unlike with OPRA, the burden to show that access to common law public records should be permitted lies with the requestor. “The common-law right to access public records depends on three requirements: (1) the records must be common-law public documents; (2) the person seeking access must ‘establish an interest in the subject matter of the material,’; and (3) the citizen's right to access ‘must be balanced against the State's interest in preventing disclosure.” Keddie v. Rutgers, 148 N.J. 36, 50, 689 A.2d 702, 709 (1997) (internal citations omitted). You have neither established that the records you seek are common-law public documents, identified an interest in the subject matter of such records, nor set forth how your need for disclosure outweighs the State’s clearly expressed, strong public policy interest in preventing such disclosure. Accordingly, your request is denied under common law.
As with any OPRA request, you have the right to challenge the decision by the Township. At your option, you may either institute a proceeding in the Superior Court of New Jersey or file a complaint with the Government Records Council (“GRC”) by completing the Denial of Access Complaint Form. You may contact the GRC by toll-free telephone at 866-850-0511, by mail at PO Box 819, Trenton, NJ 08625, or at its web site at www.state.nj.us/grc. The Council can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in your County.
Thank you.
Erin Barillas, RMC
Township Clerk
Township of North Bergen
4233 Kennedy Blvd
North Bergen, NJ 07047
e: [North Bergen Township request email]
o: 201-392-2024
f: 201-330-7694
www.northbergen.org