Industry officials also maintained that the commission overstated the problem of crime on the docks. WebThey claim the Waterfront Commission has run for many years without accountability and transparency about the use of public funds. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Last week, New Jersey announced it would pull the states representative from the commission of New York Harbor by the end of the month, essentially leaving the agency unable to continue operating lawfully. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Protecting the safety of New Yorkers and our vital industries is my top priority, and we cannot afford to lose the Waterfront Commissions unique authority and expertise in combating crime at our port, said New York Governor Kathy Hochul on March 14, 2022, when New York filed legal action in the Supreme Court to block New Jersey from terminating the Waterfront Commission. And it keeps going until both states decided to end it, she said. Gov. In 2018, on his last day in office, New Jersey Gov. The courts decision Monday was not unexpected. WebWaterfront Commission of New York Harbor - Police News January 4, 2023 News Header: Warehouseman Application Denied Based on Felony Conviction, Fraud, Deceit Description. The closely watched case could carry broad implications, not just in the control of the sprawling waterfront that stretches from Brooklyn to Elizabeth, but in the possible impact on other agencies established through similar compacts between states, say some legal experts. While New Jersey has sought to unilaterally withdraw from the decades-old bi-state agreement and, in turn, the commission of New York Harbor due to outdatedness, New York argues the exit would be in violation of the Compacts Clause of the Constitution. A host of regulations were ushered in, those with criminal records were barred from serving as union officials, and containerization later gained popularity in the 1960s. Chris Christie signed a law withdrawing from the commission and handing over law enforcement operations on the New Jersey side of the port to the New Jersey State Police. It also argues that the industry today is not what it was in the 1950s and that this particular type of regulator (the compact) is not warranted. Despite having once vetoed the measure as unconstitutional, then-Gov. The bi-state commission was formed in 1953 to combat widespread waterfront crime, including mob activity and the sort of corruption detailed in the movie On the Waterfront.. In arguments before the court, New York Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale said while there was no expectation that the new commission created to clean up the port would be permanent, she told the justices there was an intention to prohibit unilateral withdrawal by either side. New Jersey began the process of withdrawing from the Waterfront Commission in 2018 as some state lawmakers made the case that the commission In separate letters sent to the U.S. Department of Justice this summer and obtained by POLITICO, the FBI, Department of Labor and U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York also all argued the Waterfront Commissions role remains vital. It argued that New Jersey could not simply decide for itself that it no longer wanted to honor its obligations under a bilateral compact ratified by Congress. Gov. New Jersey Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum, arguing the case for New Jersey in Washington on Wednesday, said there was nothing in the plain text of the compact that prohibited the state from leaving the Waterfront Commission. The New Jersey law takes the money that would have gone to the Waterfront Commission and sets it aside for the State Police to use to regulate the ports. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Acting Solicitor General Brian H. Fletcher, whose office argues the governments position for the Justice Department in cases before the Supreme Court, acknowledged in his brief last month that New York could still sue New Jersey state officials in federal court over the Waterfront Commission and seek an injunction. In 1950, the U.S. Senate Special Committee to Investigate Crime in Interstate Commerce was created to investigate crime, particularly in the shipping industry, as Senate hearings became increasingly covered by newspapers as well as shown in local theaters to the public. The Supreme Court seems ready to allow New Jersey to withdraw from a commission the state created decades ago with New York to combat mob influence at their joint port. Ted Sherman may be reached at [emailprotected]. Download. Justice Amy Coney Barrett said it seems very odd that New York wants to keep the commission even though most of the ports business is now conducted on the New Jersey side of the harbor. The Waterfront Commission declined comment on Monday. The Supreme Court docket has recorded the arguments being filed by both the defendant and plaintiff since March 2022. But New Jersey argued, among other things, that "mere silence as to withdrawal gives one State no basis to hold another hostage to a compact forever." WebCertified Police Officer - Detective. All rights reserved (About Us). The Police Division operates in Manhattan and Brooklyn and has three offices, two in NY: The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor cooperates with various state, federal, and local law enforcement authorities in pursuing investigations into waterfront-related crimes. So, there has been tension over the past couple of decades about whether the Waterfront Commission should still exist in its current form or whether it should exist at all.. Phil Murphy said he is "thrilled" about the brief and is confident this will bolster the Garden State's case that it can withdraw from the bistate commission without consent from New York, according to a statement released Monday. The Supreme Court appears willing to let New Jersey unilaterally exit the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, a bistate police agency created to crack Subscribe at nj.com/supporter. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Media Inquiries-. Whatever kinds of regulations, of course, that wed have today would have to reflect the kind of new reality of labor and commerce on the ports, which are significantly different from the 1950s, said Peter Catapano, history professor at City Tech, on Dec. 9 during the Brooklyn Waterfront Research Centers breakfast talk webinar, titled What is the New York-New Jersey Waterfront CommissionAnd Do We Still Need It? The three-person panel discussed, in part, the origins of the Waterfront Commission, its legacy, and the debate over whether the Commission should continue. New York sued New Jersey in March over its withdrawal efforts, arguing that the two states would have to agree to the commission's disbanding, and said the work of the commission is not over, with organized crime still seeking to "exert influence" over port operations. I guess what Im trying to push back on is that, if the reason they were silent was not because they thought this was in an agreement for all times, but because they were worried about signaling to the mob bosses that they would be leaving, Jackson said. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. U.S. Supreme Court justices on Wednesday indicated they might rule in favor of New Jersey leaving a bi-state agency with New York created to police ports, stem the Judith Vale, representing New York, argued that the agreements silence on unilateral withdrawal made the opposite point. Jackson challenged Vales argument that because of that silence, both states must agree on the Waterfront Commissions dissolution. New Jersey lawmakers say changes in the industry, including the development of container shipping, have lessened the influence of organized crime at the port and reduced the need for the commission. The Justice Department filed court documents in August that sided with New Jersey and argued that leaving the commission would allow the state to "exercise its full sovereign authority." The bill was approved by Gov. Ten students, along with Council member Alexa Aviles and Principal Priscilla Figueroa celebrated the completion of the renovation with a ribbon cutting. Employees were specifically asked: Describe in detail the work required of this position. The two FBI special agents in charge of the New York and Newark field offices wrote that the agencys own work with the commission shows the continued influence of the Genovese and Gambino organized crime families over the International Longshoremens Association and waterfront businesses.. The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor was created to address of racketeering and unfair hiring practices at the jointly-run Port of New York and New Vale pushed back, suggesting the commission, which employs about 70 people, makes it harder for corruption and undue influence to succeed.. State Sen. Joseph Cryan wants New Jersey to sever ties with the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, an law enforcement agency that has been credited with breaking up La Cosa Nostra organized crime groups, associates of which have financially supported the lawmakers political campaigns. The Waterfront Commission sued New Jersey over the law but its case was tossed when a federal appeals court ruled in 2021 that only New York could sue to stop the Garden States withdrawal. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed New Jersey a victory in its effort to abolish the 70-year-old Waterfront Commission, declining to intervene for now in whether the state can leave the bi-state agency tasked with keeping the ports around New York Harbor free of organized crime. The Waterfront Commission was created in response to the significant influence of organized crime at the ports during the 20th century including having power over the International Longshoremen's Association, the union that hires workers at the ports and the prevalence of criminal behavior at the docks, such as cargo theft, gambling and loansharking. Ted Sherman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, did not have the authority to file a petition, ruling that the governor and the state Legislature. Following release of the report, the large majority of the commission's executive staff were fired, including the New Jersey Commissioner Michael J. Madonna (the New York Commissioner's seat was vacant at the time of the report's release, although the report faulted the actions of the former New York Commissioner, Michael C. Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. It asked for details on their current positions and resumes. The US Supreme Court seemed likely to say that New Jersey can walk away from an interstate agreement over the objection of its neighbor New York. In light of current geopolitical uncertainty, the termination of the Waterfront Commission would cause immediate and irreparable harm to New York state, from increased crime to higher prices to employment inequities. The effective end of the commission or the beginning of a fight with New York would come after Murphy files a formal notice to exit the commission, which he plans to do. Some academics and other states have expressed concern in their submitted amicus curiae briefs over whether a Supreme Court ruling could affect other interstate compacts. Our journalism needs your support. Austin Raynor, assistant to the solicitor general for the U.S. Department of Justice, took questions from the court about department's defense of New Jersey. Lesniak was jubilant about the Supreme Courts move and predicted a quick end to the Waterfront Commission, in part because he doesnt think New York has lifted much of a finger to fight yet. In its filing, the commission said the courts cannot read a nonexistent unilateral withdrawal term into the compact just because New Jersey thinks that structure would have made more sense.. Gov. Granting a motion by New York to stop the state from terminating the nearly 70-year-old compact ratified by Congress that created the Waterfront Commission, the high court in a brief written order also declared that the state could not simply walk away from its responsibilities to fund the commission. New York docksparticularly in Red Hook, Brooklyncurrently handle a sliver of the New York Harbor and port trade compared to New Jerseys estimated 80 to 90 percent. [15][16], The report's existence was due, in part, to two whistleblowers, Kevin McGown and Brian Smith, who both resigned and have since filed a discrimination complaint against the agency. New Jerseys arguments have been bolstered by the U.S. Office of the Solicitor General, which argues the governments position for the federal Justice Department in cases before the Supreme Court and was specifically asked by the court to weigh in on this one. The commission's formation followed by several decades the creation of the vastly bigger Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which oversees transportation infrastructure in the region. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). 609-292-4791. Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor (WCNYH) News. Gov. It is set up differently from other interstate agreements including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which was created in 1921. Theres this whole sort of structure to deal with political conflicts, [how] to avoid them, and [how to] reach compromises, and that doesnt exist right now at the Waterfront Commission, said Ry Rivard, a reporter who covers energy, the environment, and transportation in New Jersey for POLITICO, during the webinar. The Waterfront Commission declined to comment. Phil Murphy has announced that New Jersey will withdraw from the commission in three weeks despite letters from the office of New York Gov. The primary goals of the compact were to police local organized crime and end corruption at shipping terminals in the two states, ultimately replacing the daily shape-up (in which prospective workers forcibly competed against one another to secure work despite union membership status) with a state-run employment center. The issue, as it stands, is whether the Supreme Court should issue declaratory judgment and/or enjoin New Jersey from withdrawing from its Waterfront Commission Compact with New York, which grants the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor broad regulatory and law-enforcement powers over all operations at the Port of New York and New Jersey. The two-member commission with one commissioner from each state oversees licensing and inspections at the Port of New York and New Jersey and has its own police force. A long-running battle challenging New Jerseys right to walk away from the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor came under sharp questioning by justices All rights reserved (About Us). The Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor has since 1953 cracked down on mob activity and unfair hiring practices at the sprawling ports. The commission, which was created by New York and New Jersey in response to the deep-rooted corruption once prevalent on the docks, has jurisdiction over all the regions piers and terminals. The two states created the Waterfront Commission in 1953 to fight crime and regulate employment at the ports. One party cant keep the other on the hook forever, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said. Kathy Hochul. Cargo ships docked in Port Newark in December 2021.Ted Sherman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com. We just dont know what the court is going to do., The new beautiful people who love to equate social justice with unconstrained real estate development love to say that everybody could get a great place to live whereever they want if only developers were allowed to build anyplace they wanted to, as tall as they like. The state has been in court for nearly four years seeking to pull out of the commission, after New Jersey legislators voted in 2018 to walk away in the wake of increasing political pressure by the industry and the dockworkers union. Its staff of 75 includes police officers, auditors, investigators, and lawyers. The Staten Island Ferry crosses New York Harbor past the Manhattan skyline. Sponsors charged that the agency had over-regulated business at the port to justify its existence, while engaging in enforcement activities they claimed were hurting the states economic interests. In 1953, the states entered a compact to create a unique agency, the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, with the express goal of stamping out organised crime at the port. Justice Amy Coney Barrett told Vale that it seems very odd that New York wants to hang on to the commission when the majority of the port's business goes through its New Jersey side. The commission is authorized to deny or revoke the registration or licenses of those who involve themselves in criminal activity. a lower court ruling that sided with New Jerseys argument. Paulins letter to Hochul seems to question the polices readiness by noting the commissions decades of institutional knowledge that cannot be replaced by another agency.. Marlon Brando in the 1954 motion picture "On the Waterfront." The WCNYH has its own police division (a.k.a. The Waterfront Commission declined comment on Monday. At another point, however, Roberts distinguished the Port Authority from the Waterfront Commission, which he called a "very important but relatively small enterprise dealing with a particular problem. Roberts suggested to Judith Vale, who was arguing on behalf of New York, that it would be not that disruptive for New Jersey to withdraw. By the 1970s, only about 8.4-percent of all exports and imports were coming through New York due to transformations in the global economy and trade. Chris Christie signed the bill into law in his final week in office. ", The U.S. attorneys who wrote to the court, led by Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, said New York's arguments in court documents are "mistaken" and "internally inconsistent," adding that New Jersey should be able to leave without New York's consent because it enables "each State to exercise its full sovereign authority.". The Waterfront Commission is staffed by commission attorneys who are trained in various law enforcement and police investigative techniques. Murphy reiterated the state's belief that the commission, which was formed in 1953, is "outdated and inefficient" and "has become an impediment to economic growth. All rights reserved. Kathy Hochul that New Jersey cannot simply decide on its own to end a nearly 70-year-old compact that led to the joint formation by the two states of the Waterfront Commission in 1953. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. For unlimited access to her work covering the regions transportation systems and how they affect your commute,please subscribe or activate your digital account today. The Waterfront Commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor has jurisdiction over all the regions piers and If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. It is our responsibility to New Yorkers to stop New Jerseys unlawful actions and preserve the ongoing work of this law enforcement agency., Governor [Phil] Murphy continues to believe that New Jersey should have the right to withdraw from a nearly 70-year-old commission that does not meet todays needs or serve New Jerseys interests, said Bailey Lawrence, a spokesperson for the New Jersey governor, as reported by Law360 on October 24, 2022. He looks forward to the case being argued during the Supreme Courts upcoming term and remains optimistic that New Jersey will prevail.. Some of Vale's arguments hinged on the idea that the creation of the Waterfront Commission was much like the inception of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. Just as it was 70 years ago, the Waterfront Commission remains structured with one commissioner from New York and one commissioner from New Jersey. The U.S. Supreme Court will not intervene in New Jerseys efforts to kill the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor a bi-state agency created more than 65 years ago to police the regions ports ending for now a years-long legal fight over the policing of the ports of New York and New Jersey. The commission which includes one member from each state appointed by its governor Container ships are docked at the Port of New York and New Jersey in Elizabeth, N.J. New York sued New Jersey over the Garden States unilateral effort to shut down the bistate agency, reports in which they claim to work more hours than there are in a week, handing over law enforcement operations on the New Jersey side of the port to the New Jersey State Police, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The language of the compact creating the commission does not specifically address whether either state can decide on its own to withdraw. The state says the commission has become an impediment to economic growth.. The U.S. Supreme Court ordered an abrupt halt Thursday to New Jerseys planned exit from a bi-state watchdog agency that regulates the ports and piers of New York Harbor, just four days before the state was ready to call it quits. They have been particularly incensed by its involvement in the hiring process for dock workers. [2] The commission was initially created to combat unfair hiring practices on the waterfront in response to the growing number of crimes being committed there. The Supreme Court is not trying to get into the goods or bads of the commission, but really the simple legal question of whether New Jersey can unilaterally leave this bi-state compact, said Rivard. While a federal judge struck down the New Jersey law, ruling that the governor and the state Legislature could not abandon the bi-state agreement, the ruling was overturned by he U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. 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