Judge says 5 fired officers should be reinstated, keep rank

HACKENSACK >> A judge is recommending reinstatement of five officers fired after the city said they engaged in a warrantless search of a New Jersey apartment in 2016.

The North Jersey Record reports that a judge from the state office of administrative law said Friday that the five Hackensack narcotics officers should be returned to active duty and retain their most recent rank.

The officers were accused of falsifying a police report and unlawful entry, among other things. The paper said the judge reversed all charges against one officer and recommended 90- or 150-day suspensions for the others.

Mayor John Labrosse called it an “incredibly disappointing” decision that would only bring the department “more instability and uncertainty.” City labor attorney Ray Wiss says an appeal to the civil service commission is planned.

Information from: The Record (Woodland Park, N.J.), http://www. northjersey.com