Stolen Guns from Property & Evidence
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:
It is widespread knowledge that there were multiple weapons stolen from the evidence room that were supposed to be destroyed and there is evidence of this crime in the form of photographs and a video.
I am formally requesting all documents relating to the destruction of weapons by the North Bergen Police Department including requests for permission to destroy weapons for calendar years 2022 and 2023.
Documentation of any special permission granted to Deputy Chief Corbisiero or Captain Galliano to “take home“ or “borrow“ any of the North Bergen Police Department's long guns, including weapons stored in property and evidence since they are on video taking such weapons.
All video from the cameras in the area of the HQ parking garage, stairwell leading from the property and evidence room up to the Detective Bureau on 01/05/2023 to 01/08/23, and please pay particular attention to the footage of Captain Galliano carrying long gun boxes to Deputy Chief Corbisiero's vehicle and Deputy Chief Corbisiero appearing very obvious as the look out before Captain Galliano does so.
Was Captain Galliano (Lt. Galliano at the time) in charge of property and evidence during the above mentioned dates?
As per Deputy Chief's email, all crimes must be reported to the Office of Integrity and Accountability or to the Prosecutor's Office so this evidence must be turned in immediately!
Is failure to report a crime and to provide evidence of such crime considered to be Official Misconduct, Obstruction of Justice and Tampering with evidence?
In New Jersey, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), also known as the state's "Whistleblower Act," protects employees who report illegal or fraudulent activities by their employer, prohibiting retaliation for such disclosures. I am currently exercising all my rights that are afforded to me through CEPA and I wish to remain completely anonymous at this time.
This information should be turned over to the Hudson County Prosecutors Office by the Township's Law Department since Deputy Chief Corbisiero oversees internal affairs, which unquestionably is a conflict of interest.
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,
Watchful Eye
Dear Watchful Eye:
The Township of North Bergen (the “Township”) received your request made pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act (“OPRA”), N.J.S.A. 47:1A-1, et seq. on 03/07/2025.
REQUEST 1: I am formally requesting all documents relating to the destruction of weapons by the North Bergen Police Department including requests for permission to destroy weapons for calendar years 2022 and 2023.
Response: Requests for “all” materials related to a particular matter are not proper under OPRA; rather, a 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 Dep’t, 381 N.J. Super. 30 (App. Div. 2005). Your request for “all documents” fails to identify a specific record and is denied. With respect to your request for “requests for permission to destroy weapons” the Township holds no records responsive.
REQUEST 2: Documentation of any special permission granted to Deputy Chief Corbisiero or Captain Galliano to “take home“ or “borrow“ any of the North Bergen Police Department's long guns, including weapons stored in property and evidence since they are on video taking such weapons.
Response: The Township holds no record responsive.
REQUEST 3: All video from the cameras in the area of the HQ parking garage, stairwell leading from the property and evidence room up to the Detective Bureau on 01/05/2023 to 01/08/23, and please pay particular attention to the footage of Captain Galliano carrying long gun boxes to Deputy Chief Corbisiero's vehicle and Deputy Chief Corbisiero appearing very obvious as the look out before Captain Galliano does so.
Response: The Township CCTV files are held for a 31-day retention period. There are no records responsive to request.
REQUEST 4: Was Captain Galliano (Lt. Galliano at the time) in charge of property and evidence during the above mentioned dates?
REQUEST 5: As per Deputy Chief's email, all crimes must be reported to the Office of Integrity and Accountability or to the Prosecutor's Office so this evidence must be turned in immediately!
REQUEST 6: Is failure to report a crime and to provide evidence of such crime considered to be Official Misconduct, Obstruction of Justice and Tampering with evidence?
REQUEST 7: In New Jersey, the Conscientious Employee Protection Act (CEPA), also known as the state's "Whistleblower Act," protects employees who report illegal or fraudulent activities by their employer, prohibiting retaliation for such disclosures. I am currently exercising all my rights that are afforded to me through CEPA and I wish to remain completely anonymous at this time.
REQUEST 8: This information should be turned over to the Hudson County Prosecutors Office by the Township's Law Department since Deputy Chief Corbisiero oversees internal affairs, which unquestionably is a conflict of interest.
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). Accordingly, your requests #4, #5, #6, #7, and #8 fail to identify specific records and are denied.
As with any OPRA request, you have the right to challenge the decision by the Township in regard to your request. 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, by e-mail at [email address] or at their web site at https://www.nj.gov/grc. The GRC can also answer other questions about the law. All questions regarding complaints filed in Superior Court should be directed to the Court Clerk in the County in which you reside.
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