BY KAREN E. BOWES
Staff Writer
Thomas Mitchell KEYPORT – Finally promoted to police captain after years of political reproach from Mayor John Merla, there’s no doubt Thomas Mitchell will continue his battle to investigate the goings on of the mayor he helped the FBI indict.
On June 20, the 46-year-old Keyport police veteran was sworn-in before a large crowd of well-wishers, relatives and fellow officers.
Mitchell, who joined the force in 1984, took the opportunity to thank those who supported him, then invited the entire borough to celebrate with him at a nearby restaurant.
The long-standing rift between Merla and the police department was rekindled in April when Merla sent a letter to the Independent calling for “real leadership not fake muscle” within the police department. At the heart of the letter was Merla’s call to replace the position of police chief with a civilian director, an idea officers found insulting and politically motivated, and a blatant attempt to keep Mitchell from eventually becoming chief.
It was certainly a far cry from Merla’s comments on the topic in 2000. At that time, Merla voted against hiring a police director, saying the position was no longer needed. Between 1996 and 2000, Frank Miele acted as police director, a popular man who died suddenly in 2000, sparking a debate on the benefits of reinstating a chief.
“This is something that guys work all of their lives for, in terms of promotions,” Merla said back in April 2000, according to the Independent. “The council shouldn’t have anything to do with that police department.”
Adding fuel to the fire, a nasty scene occurred during an April liquor license hearing when Merla accused Mitchell of laughing at the memory of his recently deceased mother, a charge Mitchell adamantly denied. Then two weeks ago, Merla elaborated on his reasons for disliking the new captain.
“Mitchell is leading charges against my family and [my] family’s businesses,” Merla said in a June 9 interview, referring to ongoing investigations into the Uptown Bar & Grille, a local establishment owned by the mayor’s brother, Charles Merla.
On Friday, Mitchell talked about the breach with Merla.
“I just want to say, I think for him to use the office of mayor to retaliate against me for doing my job is totally unethical,” Mitchell said.
The rift can be traced back to Mitchell’s involvement in Merla’s 2005 FBI indictment. Initially indicted on seven counts of political corruption, including accepting $23,000 in cash bribes, the a federal grand jury later handed down an eighth count for allegedly extorting the owner of a Woodbridge-based garbage disposal company.
Mitchell initiated the garbage investigation a few years ago and worked with the FBI on the case. If convicted on the count, the mayor faces a maximum of 20 years in prison plus fines. Merla denies the allegations against him.
With the new promotion, Mitchell is one step closer to the department’s top post. Police Chief Theodore Gajewski supports Mitchell for the job.
On May 16, Gajewski made a public statement in response to Merla’s letter to the Independent and the subsequent animosity that followed. Of Mitchell, the chief said, “He’s well-trained. He’s attended the FBI Academy, and I’ve been training him and will continue to train him.” In the end, Gajewski said, Mitchell “will be the best chief that Keyport ever saw.”
Until that day, Mitchell said he plans to utilize his role as captain “to continue to raise the professional standards” of the department and to promote the advantages of the many free federal training programs currently available to the 18-member squad.
“There’s a lot of free training out there,” Mitchell said, noting the Department of Military and Veteran Affairs offers instruction in everything from anti-terrorism to Spanish language skills for law enforcement officers.
“I want to get as much free training as we can,” Mitchell said.