Three police officers from a New Jersey township, who have been suspended from duty for five years over serious misconduct allegations, have continued to receive their salaries and regular pay rises, amassing a staggering total of more than $2.6 million.
The Allegations and the Costly Suspension
Clark Township Police Chief Pedro Matos and Internal Affairs Sergeant Joseph Teston were initially suspended in 2020. The suspension followed allegations that they were secretly recorded using the n-word in 2019 by a whistleblower, Lieutenant Antonio Manata.
Captain Vincent Concina was also suspended, not for using the slur, but for allegedly retaliating against Lieutenant Manata for exposing the other two officers.
Despite being off active duty, the trio have remained on the public payroll. According to reports, their combined salaries have cost local taxpayers approximately $22,000 per week, excluding healthcare benefits. Over the five-year suspension period, they have collectively received $2.6 million.
Rising Salaries on Suspension
Remarkably, all three officers have received significant pay increases during their suspension. Chief Matos now earns $195,995 annually, a near 19% increase from his 2020 salary, and has received close to $1 million in total since being suspended.
Captain Concina's salary has also risen by almost 19%, to $178,979, with total earnings of $894,641. Sergeant Teston currently makes $147,556—a 14.7% increase—and has received $744,626 over the five years.
This financial burden comes on top of a $400,000 settlement paid by the township to the whistleblower, Lieutenant Manata, in 2020.
Legal Delays and Disciplinary Stalemate
The officers' disciplinary hearings have been in a state of limbo for nearly two years, blocked by a lawsuit the trio filed. Their legal representatives argue that the investigation into their conduct has taken too long and that no disciplinary action should now be taken.
They contend that criminal inquiries concluded in April 2022, a full eighteen months before the New Jersey Attorney General's Office decided not to press charges. The officers have blamed prosecutors for delays, though a presiding judge described the case as 'complicated' and has yet to reach a decision.
In 2023, Attorney General Matthew Platkin recommended that Matos and Teston be fired and that Concina be demoted, despite no criminal charges being filed. It remains unclear when, or if, their disciplinary hearing will proceed or whether they will return to the force. Notably, Pedro Matos still lists himself as police chief on his LinkedIn profile.
The specific allegations include Matos being recorded discussing a 2017 bias investigation—involving a black puppet being strung up in a high school—where he allegedly stated, 'Because I want to prove that them f**king n***** did it.' Teston allegedly referred to a suspect with dehumanising, racially charged language.
The Clark Township Police Department has been approached for comment regarding the ongoing situation.
