Morris Prosecutor: Fourth in Series of Clergy Community Outreach Programs

Published on February 15, 2017

(, 0B)FOCUS WILL BE ON SECURITY FOR RELIGIOUS AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES

The Morris County Prosecutor's Office will host its fourth Clergy Community Outreach Program on Monday, Feb. 27 with the focus of the event to be on religious and educational facility security, Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp has announced.

The program is scheduled to run from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Morris County Public Safety Training Academy, 500 West Hanover Ave., Parsippany. It is part of a continuing series of meetings arranged by the Prosecutor on vital issues affecting Morris County communities.

Previous outreach sessions examined the use of force by law enforcement, domestic violence, and the opiate and heroin epidemic.

It is imperative that we as a society remain vigilant as to the potential dangers that exist at our religious and educational facilities,'' said Prosecutor Knapp. "We ask for the public to always be observant and cooperate with law enforcement so that safety can be maintained. ''

(, 0B) Prosecutor Fredric M. Knapp

The invited audience include Morris County clergy members, police chiefs and law enforcement executives, superintendents of schools, and elected officials. Unfortunately, due to limited seating capacity, the event is NOT open to the public. However, the media is welcome to attend.

The presentation will include introductory remarks given by Prosecutor Knapp, followed by guest speakers from the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, including Director Christopher Rodriguez and Deputy Director Steven Gutkin. AOther speakers will include Morris County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Brad Seabury and Morris County Critical Infrastructure Coordinator Al Imperiale.

As was done at our prior programs, there will be a panel discussion, and a question and answer period following the presentation. Panelists will include Prosecutor Knapp, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seabury, Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon, Morris County Sheriff's Office Commander Eugene Fluri, and the Director of Security for the Roxbury School District, James Simonetti.

Christopher Rodriguez served for more than a decade in the Central Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Department of State, where he held a variety of analytical and management positions. He was appointed as the Director of NJOHSP in 2014.

(JPG, 8KB) Steven Gutkin

Steven Gutkin was named Deputy Director of the NJOHSP in 2014. Prior to joining the agency in 2012, Deputy Director Gutkin served as Executive Director for the US Department of Homeland Security-funded Regional Catastrophic Planning Team. Deputy Director Gutkin is a retired Deputy Chief of Police from the Fairfield, New Jersey Police Department.

Chief Assistant Prosecutor Brad Seabury was appointed as an Assistant Prosecutor at the Morris County Prosecutor's Office in 2006, and was promoted to Chief Assistant Prosecutor in 2015. He is currently the legal supervisor of the Special Operations Division, which includes the Homeland Security Unit of the Prosecutor's Office.

Coordinator Al Imperiale joined the Morris County Prosecutor's Office in 2008. Coordinator Imperiale regularly visits schools and religious institutions throughout Morris County to conduct safety inspections, and offer security guidance. Prior to his appointment as the County Critical Infrastructure Coordinator, he retired at the rank of Captain for the New Jersey Transit Police Department.

(JPG, 7KB) Sheriff James M. Gannon

Morris County Sheriff James M. Gannon has 33 years of law enforcement and corporate security experience. Prior to retiring as Deputy Chief of Investigations for the Morris County Prosecutor's Office in 2007, he was assigned to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force for a two-year period. After retirement from the public sector, he pursued a career in corporate security, before being elected as the Sheriff of Morris County, beginning his tenure in January of 2017.

Eugene Fluri served 26 years in the New Jersey State Police and retired in 2013 at the rank of Captain, serving as a Regional Commander. In July of 2013, the Morris County Sheriff's Office hired Fluri as a Commander to create a countywide swat team, known as the Sheriff's Emergency Response Team or SERT. The SERT is charged with addressing certain threats, hazards and emergencies throughout Morris County.

After a 32 year career in law enforcement, James Simonetti retired at the rank of Chief for the Roxbury Township Police Department in 2016. He currently serves as the Director of Security for the Roxbury School District. Among other protection and safety initiatives, as director, Simonetti introduced ALICE to the District, which stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate.

Inquiries should be directed to Public Information Officer Paul Merkler at pressinquiry@co.morris.nj.us or 973-285-6215.