Gottheimer Joins Sussex and Warren County Law Enforcement Roundtable On Fighting Terror, Crime, and Opiates

NEWTON, N.J. — Today, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hosted a roundtable for Sussex, Warren, and Passaic enforcement in Newton. At the American Legion Post 86, Gottheimer met with members of the NJ State Troopers, Sussex County Sheriff’s Department, Sussex County Department of Corrections, Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Vernon, Newton, Hardyston, Hackettstown, Mansfield, West Milford, and Ringwood police departments.

The group discussed combating the opioid crisis, protecting students with School Resource Officers, supporting veteran law enforcement officers, applying for and winning grants to get first responders the resources, training, and protection they need, getting counties State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) funds, and fighting crime and the growing threat of lone-wolf, ISIS-inspired terror.

“Our police officers are heroes — they deserve our deep appreciation for their work and they deserve our full support for everything they do to protect our communities from crime and lone wolf terror,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “I hosted this law enforcement roundtable because I want Jersey cops to know that I’m here to fight for them. That’s my job. In Congress, I’m fighting to claw back federal dollars to put cops on the street and keep our families and businesses safe from crime and ISIS-inspired lone wolf terrorism.”

“Thank you Josh for taking the time to be here up in Sussex County, on a Sunday morning, to be here for us cops,” said Pete Stilianessis, President of the NJ State Troopers Non-Commissioned Officers Association. “I know Josh appreciates the work that we do, but we appreciate the work he does. It’s good that there are people like Josh making the decisions and fighting for us down in D.C.”

Earlier this month, Gottheimer announced that by working together to get a better return on investment, the Fifth District clawed back from the federal government $290 per household — a 16% increase from recent years — through programs like the Law Enforcement Support Office (LESO) excess equipment program, FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG), and DOJ’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program.