MORRIS COUNTY — Sheriff James M. Gannon and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) Bureau of Law Enforcement were proud to receive their eighth accreditation certification from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) at a recent ceremony in Montgomery, Alabama.

“I am so very thankful to all the personnel of the Bureau of Law Enforcement who, day in and day out, deliver the level of professionalism expected of the people of Morris County and outlined in the CALEA accreditation process. I especially want to thank our accreditation team of Detective Lieutenant Tracy Medwin, Sergeant Travis Somerville, Corporal Laura Bertelli, and Sheriff’s Officer Ashley Craig for their exceptional work in attaining this very notable accomplishment,” said Sheriff Gannon.

Accreditation by the CALEA is a demanding process that measures a law enforcement agency’s compliance with the most advanced standards on policy, procedures, operations, and administration and support services. CALEA was created in 1979 as a credentialing authority through the joint efforts of law enforcement’s major executive associations and is considered the top international standard in public safety evaluation.

In October 2023, CALEA Assessor Dennis Nelson completed a four-day onsite reaccreditation assessment, noting in his final report how committed Sheriff Gannon and the entire MCSO are to the accreditation process.

“All officers interviewed were knowledgeable and engaged in their job function, which translated into accreditation being embedded in the culture of the Office,” said Assessor Nelson, adding, “This is an important aspect to the Sheriff, and it shows throughout the agency in that everyone’s performance is as natural as breathing.”

The onsite review was the final step in the process of achieving reaccreditation and also included a review of policies, practices, and processes.

Sheriff Gannon expressed his gratitude for the level of detail and thoroughness of the CALEA review, stating how important it is for a law enforcement agency to have such a review by an independent, outside source. Accreditation becomes instilled in the agency’s DNA through years of undergoing the process, said Gannon.

“I am pleased to learn that the Morris County Sheriff’s Office has again achieved recertification by the prestigious CALEA. I do not doubt that the MCSO would satisfy all the applicable standards for accreditation, knowing that the leadership staff under Sheriff Gannon has developed a model of good and responsive law enforcement for all their operations,” said Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll.

The MCSO adheres to 461 policy standards ensuring the agency operates within best practices. Reported areas of strength include the delivery of services to the public and the recruitment and retention of officers. The MCSO is a triple crown award recipient accredited in corrections standards set by the American Correctional Association (ACA), correctional healthcare standards under the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare (NCCHC), and law enforcement accreditation through the CALEA. The MCSO is also the first agency in New Jersey to be certified by the Highlands Forensic Investigations & Consulting as a top agency to meet industry standards in crime scene investigation.

“On behalf of the Morris County Chiefs Association, and all Morris County Chiefs of Police, congratulations to Sheriff Gannon and the MCSO for achieving this milestone of their eighth consecutive CALEA reaccreditation. Having been an accreditation manager, I know the effort that goes into achieving the accreditation status. The Morris County Chiefs of Police value our partnership with the MCSO and the invaluable services they provide,” said Morris Plains Police Chief Michael Koroski, president of the Chiefs Association.

Sheriff Gannon continues to invite scrutiny of his organization by gold-standard organizations and is consistently seeking input from municipal, county, state, and federal partners. The sheriff meets regularly, including one-on-one, with all 328 members of his staff to gauge the agency’s performance and to improve processes.

The sheriff also invites the citizens of Morris County to report on what the MSCO does right and where there are opportunities for improvement in a mutual effort to improve outcomes for the community. Click here for more information and to provide feedback.

MORRIS COUNTY — Ladies, are you 18 or older and ready, willing, and able to build houses from the ground up? Then Morris Habitat for Humanity, the major builder and advocate for affordable housing in the state, is looking for you to participate in this year’s “Women Build” benefit, to be held from Monday, May 6 through Friday, May 17.

The volunteers affiliated with the Morris non-profit serve as the heart and soul of the organization, dedicating numerous hours of assistance and support to facilitate families’ journey towards homeownership. The program’s sustainability is attributed to the contributions of these volunteers, who generously offer their time and expertise across all facets of the organization.

To register to volunteer, click here.

MORRISTOWN — The Seeing Eye, the non-profit organization that provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people with blindness and low vision, confirmed that Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye health company, has provided a $25,000 grant to support The Seeing Eye mission. In recognition of Bausch + Lomb’s support, The Seeing Eye named two Seeing Eye® puppies: Zara and Zeke. The puppies were named by Bausch + Lomb employees who will be provided with updates on the puppies’ progress as they are raised in The Seeing Eye program. Zeke is a male black Labrador retriever and Zara is a female yellow Labrador retriever.

“We are extremely grateful for this generous grant from Bausch + Lomb that will support two puppies who will go on to change the lives of people with blindness and low vision,” said Seeing Eye Director of Canine Development Peggy Gibbon. “It’s a wonderful investment in our mission, and we look forward to seeing the impact these puppies have in the future.”

Bausch + Lomb’s grant will support Zara and Zeke as they grow up in The Seeing Eye’s comprehensive puppy-raising program. The puppies were born at The Seeing Eye’s breeding station. When they are around 8 weeks of age, they will be placed with volunteer puppy raisers who will keep them in their homes for about one year. The puppies will then return to The Seeing Eye where they will undergo health testing and begin a four-month training course with a Seeing Eye® instructor. Upon successfully passing this phase, they will be matched with applicants who have blindness or low vision.

“We hope our involvement helps raise awareness of The Seeing Eye’s mission and inspires more people to get involved with the organization, whether as supporters or volunteer puppy raisers,” said John Ferris, executive vice president, of Consumer, Bausch + Lomb.

Volunteer puppy raisers play an essential role at The Seeing Eye. These families must be located within New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, or Delaware and are responsible for teaching basic obedience, and house manners, bringing the puppy to Seeing Eye puppy club meetings and on socialization trips. The Seeing Eye covers the cost of veterinary care and provides a stipend towards the cost of food. If a puppy does not graduate from the Seeing Eye program, the family who raised the puppy is offered the option to adopt the puppy.

The Seeing Eye is currently recruiting new volunteer puppy raisers. To sign up as a puppy raiser and learn more about The Seeing Eye, visit www.seeingeye.org/raise or call (973) 539-4425.

Established in 1929, The Seeing Eye provides specially bred and trained dogs to guide people with blindness and low vision. Seeing Eye dog handlers experience greatly enhanced mobility and independence, allowing them to retain their active lifestyles. The Seeing Eye is a 501(c)3 non-profit supported by contributions from individuals, corporations and foundations, bequests, and other planned gifts. The Seeing Eye does not receive government or insurance funding.,

The Seeing Eye is a trademarked name and can only be used to describe the dogs bred and trained at the school’s facilities in Morristown, N.J. If you would like more information on The Seeing Eye, please visit their website by clicking here or call (973) 539-4425. 

MORRIS COUNTY — On Easter Weekend, Liquid Church, one of New Jersey’s fastest-growing Christian churches, hosted a helicopter Easter Egg Drop event at its Parsippany campus. They also hosted similar Easter Egg Drop at Princeton, Wayne, and Mountainside.

The community was invited to attend the free Easter Egg Drop, where 75,000 colorful Easter eggs filled with candy and prizes and shared with kids ages 12 and under. 

The fun began Saturday with the first drops at its Parsippany campus, where young children hunted down the eggs following services. Two drops were on Saturday, with three drops on Sunday.

To participate in the Easter Egg Drop, each child ages 12 and under received an Easter egg basket after attending Liquid Family. The Easter basket will be their ticket to enter the free Easter Egg Drop activity. 

MORRIS COUNTY — Morristown resident faces charges for defrauding victims of $3.4 million, says U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

Mark Csantaveri, 51, is charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Edward S. Kiel in Newark federal court and was detained.

Click here to download the complaint.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Csantaveri and his conspirators operated businesses that purported to provide small businesses with debt relief services. Csantaveri induced victims to make regular payments to one of Csantaveri’s businesses by falsely claiming that he would hold their money while negotiating favorable settlements with the victims’ creditors. Instead of using victim funds as promised, Csantaveri and his conspirators misappropriated the victims’ money for their personal use, including over $1 million in gambling expenses. Csantaveri’s scheme ultimately defrauded more than 50 victims of more than $3.4 million.

Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the offense, whichever is greatest.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman of the Criminal Division in Newark.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, this Defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MORRIS COUNTY — Representative Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) launched her sixth annual Congressional Art Competition for NJ-11 students. The competition offers high school students a chance to showcase their creativity and artistic expression. 

“I am excited to once again launch the Congressional Art Competition! Each year, I am so impressed by the creativity, passion, and talent of our high school students. The Congressional Art Competition provides a unique opportunity to celebrate young artists in our community,” said Rep. Sherrill. “I strongly encourage each high school to participate and I look forward to seeing all of the artwork!”  

Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Since the competition began in 1982, more than 650,000 high school students have participated. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and panels of judges select the winning entries. The winner’s artwork will be displayed alongside winners from across the nation for one year in the U.S. Capitol.

Artwork submitted for NJ-11’s competition will be displayed at an art show and reception at Montclair State University, where this year’s winners will be announced. Art teachers interested in submitting their students’ work can reach out to [email protected] for additional information. 

Due to limitations of gallery space, NJ-11 high schools will be able to select ONE piece of artwork to represent their school and their selected art must be dropped off to Rep. Sherrill’s District Office. The decision on which artwork is submitted by each school is at the sole discretion of the school, and no entries outside of that process can be included in the competition.  

The deadline for schools to let Rep. Sherrill’s office know which piece they are submitting is Friday, April 12. Artwork must be submitted through the student’s school.

Rep. Sherrill’s office is located at 375 South Livingston Avenue, Suite 201, Livingston NJ 07039. To view more information about the Congressional Art Competition, click here.