Elizabeth Project

The Elizabeth Project consists of an assistant prosecutor and a Sergeant from the Union County Prosecutor's Office who perform their duties at the Elizabeth Police Department.

The assistant prosecutor provides daily legal advice to the investigative units of the Elizabeth Police Department and also reviews all completed investigations prior to their submission to the Prosecutor's Office. The assistant prosecutor is also responsible for reviewing affidavits for search warrants and assisting members of the Elizabeth Detective Bureau and Narcotics Unit in obtaining search warrants. In addition, he provides training to members of the Department.

The assistant prosecutor and Sergeant assigned to the Project have also taken an active role in the Elizabeth Community Policing Partnership Program. They meet with members of the community on a monthly basis to assist residents with any problems pertaining to law enforcement.

Through the maintenance of the Elizabeth Project we have been able to provide enhanced assistance to the Violent Offender Removal Program (VORP) which was established to remove dangerous criminals from the streets.

Forensic Laboratory

The Union County Prosecutor’s Office Forensic Laboratory was established in 1972 to analyze physical evidence submitted by Law Enforcement agencies in Union County and was New Jersey’s first county laboratory. The Forensic Laboratory also occasionally extends services to the DEA, Customs and Port Authority Police Departments.

The Technical Unit of the Forensic Laboratory is made up of two analytical sections: the Controlled Substances Section and the Biology Section. The Controlled Substances Section provides analysis of illicit drugs to support narcotic investigations and prosecutions. The Forensic Laboratory is designated by the State of New Jersey to certify Drug Analysis and these certifications may be presented at trial in lieu of expert testimony. The Biology section includes Serology analysis which provides blood and other biological identification and characterization to assist in the investigation and prosecution of violent crime cases, and DNA analysis which provides Law Enforcement agencies with the establishment of human identification through DNA profiling.

The Forensic Laboratory has met or exceeded all required standards in the two above analytical disciplines as mandated by the FBI and ASCLD/LAB (American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board) and received accreditation certification in September of 2008.

Grand Jury Unit

The Grand Jury Unit has the responsibility for presenting to the Grand Jury all indictable cases which have not previously been disposed of through Pre Disposition Conferences. Each case is reviewed by experienced assistant prosecutors in order to insure the adequacy of proofs prior to presentation of the case. If additional investigation is required, the assistant prosecutor may call upon a member of the investigative staff for assistance or upon a representative of the local law enforcement agency which initially worked on the investigation.

John H. Stamler Police Academy

The Academy, under the authority of the Prosecutor in cooperation with the Union County Police Chief's Association, services the Union County law enforcement community through its recruit and in service training programs. Two recruit classes are offered each year with first attendance preference being given to Union County municipal agencies. Numerous agencies outside Union County have taken advantage of this most modern of police training facilities in New Jersey through the enrollment and attendance of newly hired police officers.

The elective in service training program is available to law enforcement officers throughout New Jersey. A diverse curriculum is offered with topics ranging from "Fitness and Nutrition for Police Officers" to "Unarmed Self Defense Tactics." Mandatory in service training requires the attendance of all law enforcement officers in Union County. Every officer within Union County is required to attend an eight hour course of instruction once a year. This training, which was developed by the Prosecutor and the Union County Police Chiefs' Association, is designed to address those actions of a law enforcement officer which would be most helpful in improving job performance. Topics include domestic violence, report writing, use of force, courtroom testimony and vehicular pursuits. For further information on the police academy, send us e-mail.

View the In-Service Course Catalog.

Juvenile Justice Unit

The Juvenile Justice Unit is responsible for prosecuting juveniles for acts of delinquency which range from violations of township ordinances to murder. The goals of the Unit are to promote swift and certain punishment for repeat violent offenders and to divert minor offenders away from delinquency and further court action.

In addition, the Unit provides daily legal advice to the twenty-two Juvenile Bureaus within Union County and offers legal support to the Juvenile Referee Program. Members of the Unit also volunteer to teach at the Union County Youth Academy where some first time offenders are sent as part of their disposition.

Major Crimes Unit

The Major Crimes Unit is composed of the Child Abuse Squad, Violent Crimes Squad and Sex Crimes Squad. Each squad is listed on the menu to the left and relevant information may be accessed by clicking on the squad name.

Narcotic Strike Force

The primary goal of the Narcotic Strike Force is to work with local law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute those individuals involved in illegal drug trafficking in Union County. The Union County Narcotic Strike Force, which was established in 1971, is the oldest county wide multi jurisdictional drug task force in the State of New Jersey.

The Narcotic Strike Force is the largest field unit within the Prosecutor's Office and is comprised of police officers from various Union County municipalities, two assistant prosecutors and investigators from the Prosecutor's Office. The Strike Force mission revolves around a multitude of task forces, a Patrol Drug Response Team, municipal search warrant preparation, speaking engagements to civic and governmental groups regarding drug law enforcement, technical and surveillance assistance to numerous law enforcement agencies, maintenance of an extensive and sophisticated equipment inventory and the presentation of training courses at the John H. Stamler Police Academy.

Law enforcement personnel assigned to the Narcotic Strike Force also contribute their expertise through their review of every case in Union County in which a defendant is charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance with an intent to distribute. The reviewer may eventually testify in court, relying upon his or her expertise, offering an opinion as to the intent of a possessor of drugs with regard to the quantity and quality of a specific substance when combined with the possession of drug paraphernalia.

Organized Crime Section

The Organized Crime Section of the Narcotic Strike Force was established to identify and disrupt the illegal activities of traditional crime families and other sophisticated criminal enterprises operating within Union County. This Section draws upon the total resources of the Strike Force utilizing personnel who are specially trained in surveillance techniques and have received special intelligence information from various law enforcement agencies with regard to organized criminal activity.