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TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
announced that former Prospect Park Police
Chief Frank Franco was sentenced today for
assaulting a handcuffed juvenile at the
police station in 2008.
According
to Director Taylor, Franco, 52, of Wayne,
was sentenced to one year of probation by
Superior Court Judge Ernest M. Caposela
in Passaic County. Franco pleaded guilty
on Aug. 16 to an accusation filed by the
Division of Criminal Justice that charged
him with obstructing administration of law
or other governmental function, a fourth-degree
offense.
Franco
is permanently barred from public employment
in New Jersey as a result of his guilty
plea. He retired from his position as police
chief in August.
In
pleading guilty, Franco admitted that on
Jan. 18, 2008, he physically assaulted a
16-year-old male who had been arrested for
a vehicle break-in. There had been several
vehicle break-ins recently in the municipality,
and it was the second time that the juvenile
had been arrested in approximately 26 hours
in connection with such crimes. When Franco
learned of the arrest by police radio, he
came to police headquarters, where officers
were processing the juvenile.
Franco
admitted that he grabbed the juvenile by
the neck with both hands, while the juvenile’s
hands were handcuffed behind his back, and
shoved him approximately 24 feet along a
wall. He also admitted taking a swing at
the juvenile with his open hand.
Deputy
Attorney General Thomas Clark prosecuted
the case for the Division of Criminal Justice
Corruption Bureau and represented the state
at the sentencing. The investigation was
conducted for the Division of Criminal Justice
by Detectives Michael Behar and Laura Clarke
and Deputy Attorney General Clark.
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