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Fatal Accident Investigation Unit (FAIU)

March 2, 2022

The Fatal Accident Investigation Unit (FAIU) is comprised of dedicated officers who are highly trained and work behind the scenes of serious or fatal collisions. Members of FAIU are looking for clues and collecting evidence to assess whether a crime has been committed and what caused the crash to occur.

Reconstruction investigations necessitate meticulous concentration, coupled with high yielding efficiency. Most scenes are located on the highway and can cause untimely back-ups for motorists. This requires FAIU members to work fast and constantly re-evaluate traffic management strategies to ensure delays are kept to a minimum throughout the on-scene investigation. Depending on the circumstances, FAIU members may require portions of roadways to be closed for extended periods in order to identify and document each and every piece of evidence.

FAIU members focus on the presence of physical evidence. They identify, collect and analyze tire marks, pavement scarring, vehicle damage and debris patterns. Careful examination is given to those items found at and leading up to scenes.

Accreditation Assessment Team Invites Public Comment

March 10, 2021

Palisades Interstate Parkway Police / Bergen NJ, A team of assessors from the New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police (NJSACOP) on Monday, March 22, 2021, will examine all aspects of the Palisades Interstate Parkway policies and procedures, management, operations, and support services, Chief Steven Shallop announced today.

Rollover Accident

August 2, 2020

The Palisades Interstate Parkway Police were dispatched to a rollover motor vehicle accident with a vehicle fire at 2320 hrs on August 2, 2020. The occupants were assisted out of the vehicle by passing motorists prior to police arrival. The drive, a 52-year-old female from Demarest, New Jersey had immediate lifesaving medical care rendered by Parkway Police Officers who arrived on the scene. During the crash, the driver sustained a leg amputation and was actively bleeding out. Sergeant Martin Clancy and Police Officer Elizabeth Santos immediately applied Officer Santos’ tourniquet to the driver and in turn were able to save her life. Their quick and decisive lifesaving actions reflects great credit upon themselves and the Palisades Parkway Police.

Lewdness

March 12, 2020

On Wednesday, March 11, 2020, at approximately 1415 hours, the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Department received a call of a male partly dressed in female clothing exposing his genitals to park patrons in the Ross Dock Picnic area. Police immediately responded. The subject was described as a male subject wearing a red-haired wig, black dress, high heels and driving a black Audi. Sgt. G. Kimbro advised that he had a subject matching that description pulled over on the road north of the Ross Dock Picnic area.

Crisis Intervention

October 24, 2019

On Thursday, October 24, 2019, at approximately 0425 hours, the Palisades Interstate Parkway Police received a 911 transfer from the Englewood Cliffs Police Department reporting a possibly emotionally disturbed male in the Rockefeller Lookout. The Rockefeller Lookout is a scenic overlook along the Palisades Interstate Parkway in the Englewood Cliffs section. The caller reported that a person appeared to be attempting to drive their vehicle over the cliff’s edge.

Cliff Rescue

October 21, 2019

On Monday, October 21, 2019, at approximately 1320 hours, Palisades Interstate Parkway Police Officers were dispatched to assist three lost hikers in the area of The Giant Stairs. The hikers had left the marked trail and proceeded to the location where they were unable to safely continue hiking. The Giant Stairs is an area of the hiking trails located along the Hudson River in the Alpine Section of the Palisades Interstate Park. The Giant Stairs area consists of a boulder field and the terrain is steep and rocky.