Friday, June 7, 2013
Kasak was sworn in at a township committee meeting this week.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Friday, June 7
Wyckoff police officer Kevin Kasak, in his seventh year on the force, was sworn in as sergeant Monday night at a meeting of the township committee. A Bergen Catholic graduate and Wyckoff resident, Kasak studied crime, law and justice at Penn State University before joining the department as a dispatcher in 2004. In November 2005, Kasak was appointed a probationary officer and graduated from the Bergen County Police Academy in 2006. In his years with the department, Kasak has supervised school crossing guards and vehicles maintenance, and served as a training officer for new recruits. Joined by his wife Ashley, son Kellan, and daughter Kendall on Monday night, Kasak was sworn in to his new position, where he will oversee a squad of patrol …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Mothers Against Drunk Driving recognizes Sgt. Michael Ragucci and Officer Kyle Ferreira.
- PUBLIC SAFETY
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Thursday, May 23
Two Wyckoff officers were recognized by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) this week for their work in catching drunk drivers. Sgt. Michael Ragucci and Officer Kyle Ferreira were nominated by Chief Benjamin Fox for the honor. According to a release, the two are leaders in the department for making DWI arrests. "Each year, we learn of incidents that happen locally and even nationwide in which a tragic result is the outcome of a driver that has driven a motor vehicle impaierd due to alcohol or drugs," Fox said. "Police officers are the front line of defense to stop this senseless death and destruction on our roadways." The two were recognized by the township committee on Tuesday night, and will be honored at a June ceremony hosted by the …
Monday, May 20, 2013
Sgt. Dale Winters is out of work "indefinitely" after a Wyckoff man allegedly struck him in the knee during an investigation of a domestic dispute.
A Wyckoff police sergeant was taken to the hospital Friday night after a call to a Wyckoff Avenue home ended in a fight, police say. Sgt. Dale Winters and Officer Kevin Kasak responded to the home of Christopher Frawley, 35, to investigate a verbal argument at the house. After finding Frawley “highly intoxicated and acting aggressively,” police said, they called for backup from Sgt. Brian Zivkovich and Officer Brenda Groslinger, as well as two Midland Park Police officers. During a confrontation between Frawley and police outside the house, Winters was hit in the knee and had to be taken to Valley Hospital for treatment, according to Wyckoff Chief Benjamin Fox. Winters was released later Friday night, but remains out of work indefinitely …
Friday, May 10, 2013
Police charged a Clifton man Wednesday with speeding 122 mph in a 55 mph zone.
A 26-year-old Clifton man was hit with multiple charges after police say they clocked him speeding down Route 208 at more than 120 mph on a BMW motorcycle. Just before 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Wyckoff Police Officer Kyle Ferreira clocked the bike traveling south on Route 208 through Wyckoff at 122 mph. Ferreira was able to catch up to the motorcycle just past Goffle Road, according to Wyckoff Police. Szymon Tereszko, 26, of Clifton, was charged with speeding 122 mph in a 55 mph zone, reckless driving and unsafe lane changes. The complaints will be heard in municipal court, cops said. Tereszko’s alleged swift 122 mph, however, doesn’t rank him as Wyckoff’s most egregious speeder. A 20-year-old Haledon man on a 2003 Honda B60 motorcycle was …
Monday, May 6, 2013
John F. Clarke had been involved with numerous car burglaries over the past decade, according to police.
Wyckoff Police arrested a man Sunday who they say had been entering parked cars and stealing cash and credit cards from women’s purses. John F. Clarke, age 50, whose last known address was in the Bronx, has family in the Wyckoff area and has been arrested numerous times over the last decade for similar crimes, police said. “In the past, Clarke had committed these burglaries at churches,” said Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox. “He would stroll through the church parking lot, knowing that church would end at a certain time, and look for purses in vehicles." When he found a purse he'd simply try to open the car door. "If it opened, he would take cash and/or credit cards and place everything else back as it was," Fox said. Clarke was involved…
Cops come together as John, Paul, George and Ringo to remind motorists to stop in crosswalks.
The Fab Fox? A barefooted Ben Fox stars as Paul McCartney in a Wyckoff Police Department sendup of one of the most iconic album covers in rock history, as officers took to Abbey Road to bring awareness to pedestrian safety. Fox, the Wyckoff chief, is joined by Lt. Charles Van Dyk (John), Sgt. Robert Mackay (George) and Sgt. Jack McEwan (Ringo) in a recreation of the famed Beatles crosswalk photo, taken while a kilted Township Administrator Robert J. Shannon Jr. belted out Yellow Submarine. "We recreated the Beatles' Abbey Road cover as a fun way to raise awareness,” Fox said. “Bob Shannon and I were thinking about a pedestrian safety campaign. We thought it would be a fun and catchy way to draw attention to pedestrian safety." Fox said his…
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wyckoff and Oakland are hosting programs that allow residents to get rid of their prescription medication safely this Saturday.
Despite their well-intended purposes, prescription medications have begun to pose major around the country. Whether it is addiction, theft, loss or disposal, prescription pills need to be handled with care. The Township of Wyckoff will be holding another edition of “Operation Take Back” which allows residents to safely dispose of their unused or expired prescription medicine. The Oakland Police Department will be conducting their “Drug Take Back” program simultaneously. The Township of Wyckoff released a statement that speaks to the precautions that need to be taken with prescription drugs. Be sure to inventory and secure all of the medication in your home. Do not leave medications (pills or liquids) in the bathroom medicine cabinets or …
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Township of Wyckoff has scheduled their seventh installment of Operation Take Back.
The Township of Wyckoff will be holding another edition of “Operation Take Back” which allows residents to safely dispose of their unused or expired prescription medicine. Drug abuse has been a part of history for longer than many of us would like to admit. Prescription drug abuse has been one of the largest growing problems in the country over the last decade. According to the National Institute of Drug Abuse: In 2010 approximately 7.0 million persons were current users of psychotherapeutic drugs taken nonmedically. 2.7 percent of the U.S. population. Although prescription drugs can be powerful allies, they also pose serious health risks related to their abuse. Luckily for us, the Township of Wyckoff does their part to make sure that …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The homeowner was away when the crime occurred, and police are unsure how the burglars got into the home.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Wednesday, March 6
Police have no idea how burglars gained access to a Wyckoff residence last week while the homeowner was out of town. The Circle Drive burglary was first reported to cops on Sunday, March 3, according to Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox. "The house, which had been vacant for a week while the homeowner was away, showed no sign of forced entry," he said. Burglars made their way to the master bedroom, looting drawers and closets there, but apparently left the rest of the house untouched, police said. Jewelry and designer handbags of an as-of-yet indeterminate value were reported stolen, Fox said. Detective Sgt. Michael Musto, Sgt. Dale Winters and Patrolman Kevin Pinches investigated. In 2013 so far, Wyckoff Police said there have been a …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
"I consider the ACLU inquiries a form of training," says Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox. "That's nothing to be afraid of. It's a good thing. I actually welcome it."
Wyckoff's chief of police says an ACLU report citing his department as one of hundreds that improperly handled an internal affairs request is a learning experience that will result in training for his officers. Last year the ACLU called nearly 500 police departments across the state and asked officers questions about filing IA complaints. More than half the departments answered at least one question incorrectly and 51 departments did not get a single question right, according to the report. In an audio clip played throughout the day Tuesday on WNYC, a caller from the ACLU can be heard in conversation with someone the station identified as a Wyckoff Police officer. “No. No complaints can be taken over the phone – we can’t identify with whom…
VoiceOfReason
11:17 am on Saturday, June 8, 2013
Congratulations, Sergeant Kasak - and thank you for helping protect all of us. more ›