NCJ Number
80173
Date Published
Unknown
Length
93 pages
Annotation
This annual report details the activities of New Jersey's State Commission of Investigation (SCI) for 1979, including the organized crime-control program, reports published, liaison with other law enforcement agencies, and staff performance.
Abstract
Following a summary of the SCI's jurisdiction and operating methods, legislation enacted in 1978-79 which affects the SCI is described. Brief biographies of commission members are presented. The update on efforts to confront key organized crime figures focuses on investigations of the Angelo Bruno and Simone Rizzo DeCavalcante crime families. An expanded statute passed in 1979 allows the SCI to use a criminal process against willful refusal by a witness, upon being granted immunity, to answer questions or produce evidence required by a subpoena and represents an important addition to their civil contempt power. A review of the SCI's public activities covers hearings, an interim report on its public insurance probe, a critique of sudden death investigations by county medical examiners, and liaison with the legislature. Also summarized are investigations undertaken at the Governor's request into the New Jersey Housing Finance Agency and allegations from independent truckers of questionable unloading practices at terminals. Time spent assisting and cooperating with other county, State, and Federal law enforcement agencies is discussed, as are cases where abuses of authority by public officials were discovered by the SCI and referred to local jurisdictions for action. The section on the SCI staff of 33 individuals provides information on their qualifications and special training received during 1979. The 32 public actions taken by the SCI during the past decade are listed to illustrate the wide range of allegations and complaints that have been handled. SCI records indicate that over 150 citizen requests were processed. The appendixes contain a summary of major investigations undertaken since June 1969 and the SCI statute.