COLEY OUT
Trenton Police Director ousted after tumultuous year and extremely vocal critics calling for her firing >>
TRENTON >> Sheilah Coley, the city’s first Black woman confirmed to serve as police director, was dismissed from her post Wednesday, ending a steady drumbeat of demands for her ouster that began last year while the city struggled with a record surge in homicides.
In a statement confirming her firing, Mayor Reed Gusciora credited the police director for serving “dutifully” over the last two years.
But he said the time had come for the department to move in a “different direction” following a near-constant barrage of criticism of Coley’s leadership from all factions of the city — from sniping legislators to current and former rank-andfile who blasted the mayor’s pick from jump street.
“Director Coley’s efforts to increase accountability, modernize law enforcement technology, and diversify the TPD command staff have been commendable,” Gusciora said. “We thank Director Coley for her service to our residents and wish her the very best in her future endeavors.”
Trenton Police Capt. James Slack will take over as director until a permanent replacement is announced.
Coley’s dismissal comes three weeks after the Trenton Superior Officers Association sued her for refusing to promote members of the department to replace the retiring “brain trust.”
She was hit with a separate lawsuit this year from six cops who alleged they were harassed and discriminated against.
One white cop, Tara Dzurkoc, claimed that she lost her cushy post with the U.S. Marshals as part of a “hit job” perpetuated by Detective Sgt. Cynthia Harris, one of Coley’s closest allies.
A former top cop in Orange and Newark, Coley was tapped in April 2019 as the fourth person to lead Trenton Police under the Gusciora administration.
Two of the mayor’s picks, former Trenton cops Pedro Medina and Carol Russell, were unceremoniously shown the door, putting pressure on Gusciora to find a replacement who could bring change to a department full of competing cliques with entrenched beliefs on how best to police the streets.
Touted as a “trailblazer” upon her arrival, Coley faced immense pushback from nearly every corner of the capital city, including former cops who wanted someone with experience working in Trenton rather than an alleged outsider brought in from the North Jersey policing pipeline.
From the minute she arrived, Coley sought to put her prints on the department and align it with her 21st century policing mission.
In one of her first big moves, she implemented walking posts, fulfilling one of Gusciora’s campaign promises.
Some of her other moves, like temporarily disbanding the street crimes unit and shifting more officers over to patrol, drew scorn.
The clamoring for Coley’s job ratcheted up last year, amid Trenton’s record-breaking surge in homicides during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She was roundly criticized and investigated for ordering officers to stand down during a reported arson call during rioting in the capital city following the murder of George Floyd, the Black man killed by Minneapolis Police.
Mercer County prosecutors cleared Coley of criminal wrongdoing for her actions during the May 31, 2020 riot, but it did little to silence her detractors.
Gusciora stood by Coley throughout a turbulent 2020, despite vociferous belly-aching from boisterous legislator George Muschal, a former city cop, and key members of his administration wanted Coley canned.
Behind the scenes, Gusciora and ex-chief of staff Yoshi Manale reportedly clashed over Coley’s leadership.
Manale felt Coley, as the supposed face of the department, should have been out front of the record bloodshed, blunting criticism of Gusciora, who is seeking a second term as mayor in 2022.
Along the way, Coley was involved in her own public skirmish with the South Ward councilman after he called her “clueless” during an executive session.
She threatened to sue the outspoken legislator but relented, though Muschal continued taking digs at Coley, even on her way out the door.
Playing the “reverse racism” card, Muschal in a phone interview Wednesday claimed that Coley had a “problem with white people” because she allegedly stripped 10 cops of detective stipends.
He also claimed she left the radio room in tatters, which he felt contributed to a slow response time to a car bulldozing into his Wishie Washie laundromat.
“It’s about time she left the police department,” Muschal said. “She destroyed the police department. She had no clue how to run a police department. She had her chance and she failed. She got an F.”
In recent months, Coley faced her own personal struggles.
Several city sources revealed she was diagnosed with cancer, but Coley, who rarely spoke to the media outside of a handful of news conference, never publicly confirmed the reports.
Coley did not respond to a request for comment through a TPD spokeswoman.
While she had her haters, Coley earned the admiration of people like councilwoman Robin Vaughn.
The West Ward leader credited Coley — who was technically the second Black woman to serve as police director after Russell failed to garner council approval — with diversifying Trenton’s ranks in a majority Black city and holding officers accountable for messing up on the job.
Coley favored firing alleged bad-apple cop, Sgt. David Ordille, who was chastised by a federal judge for lying on an affidavit in a sweeping drug case.
A hearing officer later restored Ordille to his post following a monthslong suspension, a decision the Gusciora administration opted not to challenge.
Trenton Police rankand-file union president Michael Schiaretti, who had been critical of Coley’s leadership, did not respond to phone calls and text messages seeking comment.
At-large councilman Jerell Blakeley, who last year waffled over whether the city should retain Coley, thanked the police director for her service.
He said she had a “very tough job at a very tough time in policing across the county,” but stressed the mayor needed a leader who he was “confident” could lead the department as it enters a historically challenging stretch.
“We all know what the summer brings in the city of Trenton, unfortunately,” Blakeley said.
The councilman hoped Coley’s replacement isn’t from the “good-old boys club” and reflects the city’s demographics.
Council president Kathy McBride didn’t respond to a phone call and text message seeking comment.