NORTH BERGEN TOWNSHIP, NJ - A New Jersey police chief has been accused by five of his officers of harassment against his employees, including incidents of him defecating on the office floor, spiking the office coffee pot with Adderall and Viagra, and jabbing one officer in his penis with a hypodermic needle.
According to NBC News, Chief Robert Farley, a veteran of the North Bergen Police Department, has also been accused of harassing officers outside of the office by sending packages containing sex toys and LGBT pride flags to their homes as well as retaliating against them by denying promotions and assigning officers to the night shift.
These incidents, among others, were described in detail on the notices to sue that officers have submitted to the Township of North Bergen. To file a lawsuit in New Jersey, a person must first submit a notice indicating their intent to sue.
One of the accusing officers, Lt. Alex Guzman, wrote, "Farley has fostered a workplace environment characterized by inappropriate behavior and so-called 'practical jokes' that are demeaning, demoralizing, and targeted." He added, "These actions not only fail to meet the standards of professional conduct but also appear intended to humiliate me and other victims."
The other officers who have filed notices to sure are Michael F. Derin, a retired North Bergen PD detective who worked for Farley in an administrative role; his son, Detective Michael A. Derin; and Officers Rasheed Siyam and Christopher Bowen. Their attorney, Patrick Toscano, told NBC News, "They're not talking now because they fear retaliation."
On Tuesday, March 25th, Toscano asked the New Jersey State Attorney General's Office to "immediately take over the day-to-day operations of the North Bergen Police Department." He said, "I have represented thousands of police officers over the years. I have never seen anything like this. There's just no other way of saying it."
Farley was sworn in as chief by Mayor Nicholas Sacco in February 2024. His father and grandfather served as deputy chiefs of the North Bergen Police Department. The notices to sue name Farley, the township, and the police department as defendants.
In a statement, a town spokesperson said in a statement, "The Township of North Bergen has full confidence in Chief Robert Farely's leadership of the North Bergen Police Department and we strongly deny these false and outrageous allegations made by disgruntled officers who are resorting to attacking the reputation of a dedicated public servant to further their own selfish goals.
In order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest and because we are fully confident that these claims will be proven false, we have proactively referred them to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office for review."
Michael F. Derin said in his notice that he and Farley had been friends until Farely became chief and that from then on he began playing pranks on the officers, like setting off car alarms and putting ink on door handles. Derin wrote that shortly after, the pranks took a darker turn, like in August 2024 when he found himself being chased "around the office" by Farley.
Derin wrote, "After cornering me in the filing area with no further room for retreat, he sticks a hypodermic needle through my jeans into the tip of penis." Derin wrote that when he protested, Farley "told me I don't know how to take a joke." He added, "From this point on, the chief creates a hostile work environment.
The chief would shave his body hair on peoples' property, their persons, and their food. He was also fond of scraping fluids from his underwear onto people seated in the chief's office." Derin's son wrote that he witnessed Farley lace the communal coffee with prescription drugs and then wait for somebody to pour themselves a cup of a doctored coffee.
He said he started getting his coffee from a machine "because I did not feel it was safe to drink from the pot anymore." He also said that he was forced to do schoolwork for Farley's daughter, including writing a research paper on her behalf that took several days during work to complete.
Guzman wrote that Farley, "on several occasions, pulled his pants down and defecated on the floor of his office self." Guzman wrote, "He also left feces on the bathroom floor, apparently with the intent of having someone unknowingly step on it." Siyam and Bowen wrote they were denied promotions or forced to work night shifts. Bowen also noted that officers, both under Farely and his predecessors, were pressured to write parking tickets "as a way to generate revenue for the township."
Farley, who earns more than $228,000 a year, heads a police force that has 140 uniformed officers who patrol a 5.57 square mile township of some 60,000 residents that sits directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan that recorded two homicides in 2024.
According to NBC News, Chief Robert Farley, a veteran of the North Bergen Police Department, has also been accused of harassing officers outside of the office by sending packages containing sex toys and LGBT pride flags to their homes as well as retaliating against them by denying promotions and assigning officers to the night shift.
These incidents, among others, were described in detail on the notices to sue that officers have submitted to the Township of North Bergen. To file a lawsuit in New Jersey, a person must first submit a notice indicating their intent to sue.
One of the accusing officers, Lt. Alex Guzman, wrote, "Farley has fostered a workplace environment characterized by inappropriate behavior and so-called 'practical jokes' that are demeaning, demoralizing, and targeted." He added, "These actions not only fail to meet the standards of professional conduct but also appear intended to humiliate me and other victims."
The other officers who have filed notices to sure are Michael F. Derin, a retired North Bergen PD detective who worked for Farley in an administrative role; his son, Detective Michael A. Derin; and Officers Rasheed Siyam and Christopher Bowen. Their attorney, Patrick Toscano, told NBC News, "They're not talking now because they fear retaliation."
On Tuesday, March 25th, Toscano asked the New Jersey State Attorney General's Office to "immediately take over the day-to-day operations of the North Bergen Police Department." He said, "I have represented thousands of police officers over the years. I have never seen anything like this. There's just no other way of saying it."
Farley was sworn in as chief by Mayor Nicholas Sacco in February 2024. His father and grandfather served as deputy chiefs of the North Bergen Police Department. The notices to sue name Farley, the township, and the police department as defendants.
In a statement, a town spokesperson said in a statement, "The Township of North Bergen has full confidence in Chief Robert Farely's leadership of the North Bergen Police Department and we strongly deny these false and outrageous allegations made by disgruntled officers who are resorting to attacking the reputation of a dedicated public servant to further their own selfish goals.
In order to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest and because we are fully confident that these claims will be proven false, we have proactively referred them to the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office for review."
Michael F. Derin said in his notice that he and Farley had been friends until Farely became chief and that from then on he began playing pranks on the officers, like setting off car alarms and putting ink on door handles. Derin wrote that shortly after, the pranks took a darker turn, like in August 2024 when he found himself being chased "around the office" by Farley.
Derin wrote, "After cornering me in the filing area with no further room for retreat, he sticks a hypodermic needle through my jeans into the tip of penis." Derin wrote that when he protested, Farley "told me I don't know how to take a joke." He added, "From this point on, the chief creates a hostile work environment.
The chief would shave his body hair on peoples' property, their persons, and their food. He was also fond of scraping fluids from his underwear onto people seated in the chief's office." Derin's son wrote that he witnessed Farley lace the communal coffee with prescription drugs and then wait for somebody to pour themselves a cup of a doctored coffee.
He said he started getting his coffee from a machine "because I did not feel it was safe to drink from the pot anymore." He also said that he was forced to do schoolwork for Farley's daughter, including writing a research paper on her behalf that took several days during work to complete.
Guzman wrote that Farley, "on several occasions, pulled his pants down and defecated on the floor of his office self." Guzman wrote, "He also left feces on the bathroom floor, apparently with the intent of having someone unknowingly step on it." Siyam and Bowen wrote they were denied promotions or forced to work night shifts. Bowen also noted that officers, both under Farely and his predecessors, were pressured to write parking tickets "as a way to generate revenue for the township."
Farley, who earns more than $228,000 a year, heads a police force that has 140 uniformed officers who patrol a 5.57 square mile township of some 60,000 residents that sits directly across the Hudson River from Manhattan that recorded two homicides in 2024.
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