Wayne Forrest the rightman for prosecutor

EDITORIAL:Prosecutor has restore confidence in office through his exemplary conduct

   We were relieved to learn Hillsborough resident Wayne Forrest had been nominated to serve another five years as Somerset County prosecutor.
   If ever there was a right person in the right place at the right time, it’s Mr. Forrest in the prosecutor’s chair at this time.
   During his first five years in the position, Mr. Forrest restored credibility to an office tainted by the tragic tenure of Nicholas L. Bissell Jr., who killed himself in a Nevada hotel room on Nov. 26, 1996, as federal investigators were closing in on him.
   During that time, Mr. Forrest has created and improved several important divisions within his office — a group specializing in investigating auto fatalities, a stronger arson investigation unit, and a revitalized narcotics task force come to mind.
   He has worked with many municipal police departments throughout the county to improve their procedures, helping to make Somerset County police more professional in the way they do their jobs.
   When terrorists struck in New York City and Washington, D.C., Sept. 11, 2001, Mr. Forrest knew immediately the county not only needed a well-trained group to respond in the event terrorists try to strike within the county, but he also knew every police department needed to know how to respond and how other agents would respond to such events.
   The result of his hard work is a level of criminal prosecution throughout the county that is handled professionally.
   There is no greater crime against society than bad criminal prosecution, prosecution that leaves openings for criminals to escape justice, or prosecution that unfairly strikes at the innocent.
   Thanks to Mr. Forrest’s steadfast guidance, Somerset County is a safe place to live, where criminals know they cannot escape the law for long.
   State Sen. Walter Kavanaugh (R-Somerville) has told interviewers Mr. Forrest’s nomination by Gov. James E. McGreevey was the result of a deal struck last year, when the governor needed a few Republican votes to pass his budget.
   If that’s the case, then for once, it can be said politics served the good of the community.