Bad Hoboken Cop Punished With $132,000/Year Vacation

Way, way back in 2007, I put up a short post about a scandal involving the Hoboken, New Jersey SWAT team, which claimed to have gone on a humanitarian aid trip to help victims of Hurricane Katrina, but ended up partying it up at Mardis Gras, with ensuing photos involving Hooters girls, Jello shots, and SWAT chief Lt. Angelo Andriani posing as a member of the Ku Klux Klan. Andriani was later sued by five Hispanic police officers alleging him to be an "unabashed white supremacist."

Andriani is back in the news, after apparently flashing his badge and berating some TSA employees for allowing a flight crew to move ahead of him in a screening line.

Pick your poison in the "rogue cop vs. TSA" squabble. The story within the story linked above is the punishment Andriani received for his exploits in New Orleans: a two year paid suspension. Hoboken taxpayers are "punishing" Andriani by paying him $11,000 per month for 24 months to do absolutely nothing.

Comments

[Colin]

And then the people of Hobroken wonder why their property tax is so high.

[P Brooks]

This is a man who obviously has what it takes to be a Republican Congressman.

[US Senator Robert C. Byrd]

This is a man who obviously has what it takes to be a Democratic Senator.

[US Senator Robert C. Byrd]

I will never submit to fight beneath that banner with a Negro by my side. Rather I should die a thousand times, and see Old Glory trampled in the dirt never to rise again, than to see this beloved land of ours become degraded by race mongrels, a throwback to the blackest specimen from the wilds.

[Kelly M]

You don't know how happy is makes me to hear that America is turning into your own little personal bigot hell.

There's nothing you can do. As time goes on there will be less, and less Conservatives. You can't be openly racist anymore which makes it impossible for you to hammer your beliefs into your child. Children are taught that everyone is equal. While you may be able to corrupt a few, you'll never be able to replace all of those dying old men.

You went from slaves, to a black President... If you had any hope at stopping this, you'd of done it 200 years ago. Liberals gain more ground everyday, and all you can do is drag your feet, and bitch.

[Andrew S.]

Someone either doesn't know the history of a certain senior Democratic Senator, or they didn't bother to read whom that post was signed by...

[Suki]

Maybe they are just new here? I agree with you.

[mark]

Children are also taught that some people are more equal than others.

[Fist of Etiquette]

If the force doesn't hire Andriani as a consultant for those two years, then Hoboken will have sorely disappointed me.

[Brett L]

Wow. I am so in the wrong business. Surely I could find a way to live with myself. Especially with $11K/mo to spend on various therapeutic endeavors.
--Month 1: Gambling didn't work
--Month 2, day 3: Hookers and blow didn't work.
--Month 2, day 30: Ramen noodles and poverty didn't work.
--Month 3: Retreat to picaresque Buddhist Monastery in CA didn't work, but the sex was cheaper.
--Month 4: I don't think Key West worked. Hard to recall.

Yup. I don't think I could survive 2 years of that. I might not have what it takes to live a dissolute lifestyle of shame and remorse for that long.

[psychologist]

picturesque not picaresque? Picaresque is a literary genre.

[OTOH]

It does apply. If you are having sex in a buddhist retreat, you more than qualify as a rogue. Now you OTOH have picturesque on your mind because you probably feel guilty about daydreaming when you should be paying attention to the shit people tell you. That will be 5 cents please.

[Brett L]

Sure. Whatever. Month 5, homophone lessons.

[hmm]

I wonder what influence FOP had on his so called punishment.

[Robert Frost]

The Bear

The bear puts both arms around the tree above her
And draws it down as if it were a lover
And its choke cherries lips to kiss good-bye,
Then lets it snap back upright in the sky.
Her next step rocks a boulder on the wall
(She's making her cross-country in the fall).
Her great weight creaks the barbed-wire in its staples
As she flings over and off down through the maples,
Leaving on one wire moth a lock of hair.
Such is the uncaged progress of the bear.
The world has room to make a bear feel free;
The universe seems cramped to you and me.
Man acts more like the poor bear in a cage
That all day fights a nervous inward rage
His mood rejecting all his mind suggests.
He paces back and forth and never rests
The me-nail click and shuffle of his feet,
The telescope at one end of his beat
And at the other end the microscope,
Two instruments of nearly equal hope,
And in conjunction giving quite a spread.
Or if he rests from scientific tread,
'Tis only to sit back and sway his head
Through ninety odd degrees of arc, it seems,
Between two metaphysical extremes.
He sits back on his fundamental butt
With lifted snout and eyes (if any) shut,
(lie almost looks religious but he's not),
And back and forth he sways from cheek to cheek,
At one extreme agreeing with one Greek
At the other agreeing with another Greek
Which may be thought, but only so to speak.
A baggy figure, equally pathetic
When sedentary and when peripatetic.

[BakedPenguin]

That reminds me of high school. I used to skip class all the time, so they "punished" me by suspending me from class. Too bad I couldn't get the $11,000 a month.

[Tulpa]

You were lucky, I guess. At my high school the suspensions were in-school, ie, they lock you in an unused study hall room all day. Then there were the Saturday detentions on top of that.

[BakedPenguin]

Not surprising - I view high school as a place of incarceration. I would have skipped the in-school ones, too, and probably would have wound up expelled. I quit high school first chance I got. My only regret is that I didn't immediately get my GED and start CLEPping college courses. I could have been a college junior when the rest of my class was graduating high school.

[TP]

My school had in-school also. Actually it had both. But the in-school ones were in the auditorium, the only place other than the offices that had AC. I would bring a "sneak-a-toke" with me.

[PIRS]

"Andriani, 56, who was in line for a flight to New Jersey, became irate when airline flight crew members were permitted to pass him in line at a Transportation Security Administration checkpoint"

Important are we?

[Jorgen]

It's shocking that the most ridiculously awful people in our society are attracted to positions where they can do pretty much whatever they want with limited consequences. I don't think that most cops are sociopaths or irresponsible man children, but man, if you happen to be a sociopath or an irresponsible man child, what better job than being a cop?

[Lord Acton]

Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.

[Whappan?]

And as is too often overlooked, power attracts the already corrupt.

[Suki]

+69

[robc]

Ive said before that entrance to the police academy should include a psych profile. If you score above average on "craving authority" (or some similar measure) you are immediately rejected. Even those below average will get corrupted by the power, but it should improve the situation.

Then again, Im not sure anyone wants to be a cop with a below average craving of authority, so there might not be any acceptable applicants.

[lana eborp]

Most use MMPI to my knowledge. That and a HS diploma and a few months training get you a gun and a license to kill. Along with a few thousand friends to back you up.

[hmm]

grr thats me

[PIRS]

Is it true that mere possession of a handcuff key can get you thrown in jail unless you are a police officer or security guard? Mere possession?

[Suki]

If that's true, me and beloved are going away for a long time.

[BakedPenguin]

You and lots of others.

This isn't even a place that caters to the bondage community, yet: "Our store is open to the public and sells all types of police equipment".

[Suki]

Stores like that are fine, but there is nothing like the rush of dressing up fancy and buying a couple of sets in a truck stop at an otherwise desolated exit.

[Tom Watson]

No, not in the USA

[Suki]

Whew!

[Michael Ejercito]

It's shocking that the most ridiculously awful people in our society are attracted to positions where they can do pretty much whatever they want with limited consequences.

That is what exactly attracts those awful people.

[Jeremy Caldwell]

Wow, must be nice dude. Some people have all the luck.

RT
http://www.be-invisible.es.tc

[PIRS]

You and the shoe-bot from another thread should get together. You could market an anonymity shoe!

[lana eborp]

I am providing instructions for homemade anonymity hats free of charge.

anonymity hat

[PIRS]

Thanks!

+1

[Suki]

Shoe bot has a pretty online store!

[Nipplemancer]

i'm related to an Lt. in the HPD and a patrollman lives down the street from me. They're all fuckiing douchebags and corrupt as hell. Adriani is their fucking posterboy.

[Suki]

I didn't know that William Dafoe was a Hoboken cop. Is Angelo Andriani the only name he uses off screen?

[Slut Bunwalla]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that.

[John]

$132,000 a year is the pay of a mid-level GS 15 with federal locality pay in the Washington DC area. It is about as high on the federal food chain you can go. And a mid level manager in a small city police department in New Jersey is making the same money. The state and local employees unions are just looting the country. It is just unbelievable.

And tell me again why it is a good idea to let public employees and especially cops unionize?

[Mo]

Hoboken has a higher cost of living than DC. But yeah, his pay is ridiculously high.

[John]

Maybe 20 years ago but not now. Washington has a very high cost of living. Unless you are living in Manhattan or one of the inner boroughs, you are better off in Jersey than you are in Washington. The housing prices are much higher in Washington.

[Suki]

But are you better off in New Jersey than in Gaza? I am not convinced.

[Tulpa]

At least you can pump your own gas and drive while eating in Gaza.

[Suki]

Betcha smoking is less restricted too.

[Mo]

Hoboken is right across the Hudson from Manhattan and has inner borough prices for rent.

[Rhywun]

Rents in Hoboken are at the same level as Manhattan. Not to defend this guy, but 132K for a mid-manager job is nothing in NYC.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

I had no idea Hoboken had a population of only 38.5K (per Wikipedia).

[Rhywun]

Whad'ya think it would be? It's only 2 sq. mi.

[adam]

He doesn't work in NYC. He works in Hoboken, which is expensive but still cheaper than Manhattan. And he could easily commute from a number of suburbs that are much cheaper. There's no excuse to be paying a midlevel cop this much.

[Rhywun]

No, it's not cheaper than Manhattan. I know--I've lived there. But you are right in the sense that proximity to Manhattan isn't the whole story behind this particular dude's salary. I doubt the dude lives in Hoboken anyway--it is no longer the sort of place most cops would live. He very likely lives in a cheaper suburb, like most cops do. But it's a fact of life that jobs like this anywhere in the orbit of NYC are going to pay loads more than you would think. Especially public sector jobs... :/

[Hugh Akston]

I dunno. Something to do with the First Amendment right to peaceable assembly. It's always some damn thing about the First Amendment.

[hmm]

organize, no problem

regulatory capture and provide more privileges as a matter of law, big problem

[zoltan]

I don't blame some groups for unionizing when public employees see their lives in jeopardy because the City wants to add some unqualified candidates with more melanin or a vagina.

[If the shit fits wear it]

zoltan, you are a piece of shit

[Pink Cosmotarian]

"Raaaaacist!!"

[matth]

Please tell me that was $132k for TWO years, not per year.

[Suki]

$11,000/month. Now multiply by 12 . . .

[matth]

sorry, I was practicing my denial skills

[Suki]

LULZ!

[Episiarch]

Taking all bets: I say Federer wins over Murray. However, I'm impressed at how Murray's been doing so far.

[John]

Isn't that match over? Wasn't it played late last night US time?

[Episiarch]

I'm watching it on the Tennis Channel HD right now. DO NOT RUIN IT FOR ME.

[Suki]

I am with you on Federer. Betting he wins too and a photo of him holding his big cup in the locker room is flashed around the world as soon as you are finished.

[Tulpa]

They were tied after six games in the third match, and before beginning the tiebreaker they realized that they were both winners for coming this far, and put down their rackets and hugged each other across the net.

Then John MacEnroe went down and cut their throats.

[Episiarch]

You have that dream too? How about the one where McEnroe smashes the orange juice and it turns out to be blood? The blood of Boris Becker?

That's my favorite dream.

[Suki]

Did that old guy really play tennis? I thought it was an act, like that "Hot, Hot, Hot" singer.

[Episiarch]

You don't get to be a part of our conversation, John. Take off the Japanese schoolgirl dress and calm down.

[Suki]

MNG, stop using your other handle and John never put that character into an outfit like that anyway even though she has one in her closet.

[BakedPenguin]

The Williams / Li semi was great, even if Li couldn't push for a third set.

Also, Suki is (or John's character Suki is) Vietnamese, apparently.

[Episiarch]

Watching women's tennis, BP? I always knew you were a sissy.

Next you'll be telling me you like Beverly Crusher. COUGAR

[Tulpa]

Captain Picard saved humanity like 20 times singlehandedly, and she was good enough for him. So watch your mouth.

[Tulpa]

You're not even worthy to clean his bidet.

[BakedPenguin]

My interest waned after Ivanovic got knocked out, but I was home and bored when the Williams / Li match was on. (And there is no amount of money that could get me to watch Mauresmo (sp?)). Then again, I'm not sure any match Amilie played could be called women's tennis. I'm surprised there hasn't been a Rene Richards - like backlash against her.

And what's wrong with Beverly Crusher? I think you're too busy admiring the physique of Federer to be thinking straight...

[Episiarch]

And what's wrong with Beverly Crusher?

The fact that you have to ask that question says everything that needs to be said.

And Roger is dreamy.

[Suki]

BP,

Character Suki, created by John with my help, is Vietnamese, Thai and Korean. I am Korean and other by ancestry. American by birth.

White/blue schoolgirl outfits are most frequently described as Japanese, but I think John said Asian in his series. I think Sarah did the same in her fan fiction piece.

[BakedPenguin]

Sorry, I should have stated "ethnically Vietnamese". It's obvious that the person speaking is culturally American.

And understand the skepticism - both Suki and John appeared here at the same time, admittedly as part of a novel project where one of the characters was eponymous. I am personally willing to suspend disbelief (it's not costing me anything), but it is definitely going to look to many people like a writer is trying to work on a character's "voice" and personality for the novel.

[Suki]

BP,

Um, no, I think I started commenting here a while before him, but he did recommend it to me.

[Suki]

Er, um, a loud correction to what I mentioned . . .

I have been reminded that Suki (the character) IS in an Asian schoolgirl uniform, with heels, in Suki II: Sunshine Returns.

It was a bit I was not proofreading, so I claim not reading it well defense.

[Tulpa]

I don't think I even have dreams, or if I do, I never remember them. This is something I see with my waking eyes.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Awesome.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Tell me about the Tannhauser Gate, Tulpa.

[Episiarch]

You have Ivan Lendl's head in your fridge, don't you.

[Tulpa]

No -- but I found Martina Navratilova's bra under my couch cushions once.

[Episiarch]

Federer has two sets already. If Murray isn't finished, I'll eat my shorts. I guess I can leave now.

[Suki]

Thank goodness! You can now turn your attention to choreographing the next Franz Ferdinand video.

[Franklin Harris]

Hoboken?

Ooooo, I'm dying again!!!

http://home.hiwaay.net/~tfharris/music/bbhobokn.wav

[Suki]

In other celebrity news:
Actor Rip Torn arrested drunk, armed, breaking into a bank. Another abuse of open carry enforcement.

Miss Virginia crowned Miss America.

[Tulpa]

I was flipping through channels and saw that Miss America was on TLC this year. A sad fall through the channel lineup -- I remember those strange confusing years of my puberty when it was on broadcast TV, and I would rank the contestants on the angle of the erection they gave me.

[OTOH]

Tulpa, this gives a whole new meaning to two thumbs up. I look forward to your movie reviews.

[horselips]

Miss Virginia crowned Miss America.

Let me guess without even opening the article - whatever she is, she's definitely not a white, blonde, European type.

[Suki]

And she is H-O-T too.

[sage]

Well, the picture in your link shows her smiling like a donut. So she'll do.

[hmm]

Does she want to be a vegetarian because she likes kids?

[hmm]

There should be a physics, math, history, chemistry, economics, and jumping jack portion of the contest. or at least two of the former and the last one.

[Suki]

Strike econ. Those Keynesians will be the only ones getting any points.

[hmm]

That's okay. It's entertaining watching Keynesians defend his theories.

[Stormy Dragon]

Apparently he was hosting an intergalactic kegger down here.

[Man from Another Thread]

"Pick your poison in the "rogue cop vs. TSA" squabble."

Unless the TSA person was also a racist I will go with the TSA person.

[JB]

This pig deserves to be gutted.

[matth]

Dude's probably in it more for the ability to abuse his power than for the money. The two years of not getting to abuse anyone probably hurt.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Heh heh, true.

[Johnny I]

I love my town. The mayor, backed by the PD and FD unions, was arrested 3 weeks into his first term, remember. Also coming up, the St. Pats parade Mar. 6--$1000 open container tickets.

[Ken Shultz]

"Hoboken taxpayers are "punishing" Andriani by paying him $11,000 per month for 24 months to do absolutely nothing."

We don't know that he's doing absolutely nothing...

There's the Xbox, football to watch on Sundays, and beer doesn't just drink itself you know!

[Suki]

In other news: February 22nd is National Gun Control Protest Day. Strap on your gun and carry it open (if legal) at your state capitol.

[Stormy Dragon]

Was the TSA agent Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwarzeneggar? Because based on the photo, Andriani is clearly the bad guy in an 80's action movie.

[Solanum]

He does look a little like Willem Dafoe from To Live and Die in LA, so that'd probably make the TSA guy William Petersen.

[Suki]

That echo in here takes a while 🙂

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Because based on the photo, Andriani is clearly the bad guy in an 80's action movie.

True, in fact.

[Solanum]

Wish I could blame threaded comments for missing that, but I can't.

I will anyway. Damned threaded comments!

[P Brooks]

Actor Rip Torn arrested drunk, armed, breaking into a bank.

What's this country coming to, when a five dollar hooker won't give a teevee star credit? I blame Tim Geithner.

[Bob Smith]

Does he get service credit for his pension during a suspension?

[tired dog]

11k / month in fokking Hoboken? Geez louise, if this guy gets 11k what does the big chief make?? How about du' mayor??? Time to clean house in the home of Blimpie Base #1!

[DWCarkuff]

In the immortal words of Yakov Smirnoff - what a country. Government - it's turtles all the way down, or something. You know what baffles me? It baffles me that so many people still hold to the fairy tale that there is some sort of natural justice on earth. It is a dangerous and harmful fairy tale.

[sean]

Sometimes I wonder if Reason articles like this are just preaching to the choir. I mean, is anybody trying to actually DO something about this asshole?
Please let me know if I am wrong.

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