Public Records Request – Supervisory Positions and Gender Representation
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:
1) A list of current and recently posted (within the past [5] years) supervisory or leadership positions within the department (e.g., sergeant and above).
2) Any available data on the gender demographics of applicants and appointees to these positions.
3) Any internal policies, reports, or initiatives that address the recruitment or promotion of female officers to supervisory roles.
4)What is the total number of sworn Law Enforcement Officers employed by your agency?
5) How many sworn female Law Enforcement Officers?
6) Total number of Female supervisors? Total number of Male supervisors?
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,
Goddess Athena
Good Morning,
The Township of North Bergen (the “Township”) received your request dated 08/03/2025 under the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1 et seq. Your request was as follows:
“Records requested:
1) A list of current and recently posted (within the past [5] years) supervisory or leadership positions within the department (e.g., sergeant and above).
2) Any available data on the gender demographics of applicants and appointees to these positions.
3) Any internal policies, reports, or initiatives that address the recruitment or promotion of female officers to supervisory roles.
4)What is the total number of sworn Law Enforcement Officers employed by your agency?
5) How many sworn female Law Enforcement Officers?
6) Total number of Female supervisors? Total number of Male supervisors?
The Township responds:
Request 1: A list of current and recently posted (within the past [5] years) supervisory or leadership positions within the department (e.g., sergeant and above).
Response: Attached, please find promotional announcements within the prior five-year period, entitled “Special Order 21-001, Special Order 21-002, Special Order 21-007, Special Order 22-011”, and “Special Order 25-003.”
Request 2: Any available data on the gender demographics of applicants and appointees to these positions.
Response: Attached please find responsive document entitled “North-Bergen-PD-Law-Enforcement-Diversity-Reporting-2024.”
Request 3: Any internal policies, reports, or initiatives that address the recruitment or promotion of female officers to supervisory roles.
Response: There are no records responsive to, “…recruitment or promotion of female officers to supervisory roles.” Responsive to, “Any internal policies…that address the recruitment…” attached is “General Order 15-02 Recruitment and Selection.”
Requests 4: What is the total number of sworn Law Enforcement Officers employed by your agency?
5: How many sworn female Law Enforcement Officers?
6: Total number of Female supervisors? Total number of Male supervisors?
Response: Pursuant to N.J.S.A. 47:1A5(g), requests for information, ambiguous statements, or requests that ask questions are NOT valid OPRA requests. OPRA applies to requests for records, not requests for isolated facts. A valid OPRA request must seek specific, identifiable records. MAG Entm’t, LLC v. Div. of Alcohol Beverage Control, 375 N.J. Super. 534 (App. Div. 2005); Bent v. Stafford Police Dept., 381 N.J. Super. 30 (App. Div. 2005).
Despite the improper request, attached are responsive records entitled, “2024 Statewide Law Enforcement Employee Data”, “NBPD Personnel Ordinance 2023”, “NBPD Personnel Ordinance 2024”, and “Table of Organization 07-04-2025.” As a courtesy, within the document “Table of Organization 07-04-2025” the female sworn law enforcement names have been highlighted in yellow.
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