HIGHTSTOWN >> Sometimes during the week of Halloween, strange things happen.
In a bizarre twist to a story first reported by The Trentonian, a photo has surfaced allegedly showing a Hightstown cop sleeping at work.
But it’s not the officer anyone would suspect.
The department’s only female cop, Janine Krupa, alleged last week she was the victim of retaliation after reporting another officer sleeping while on duty. There are pending administrative charges against her.
However, in the picture submitted to The Trentonian on Friday, Krupa is shown sleeping in uniform.
“Hostile work environment? At least she’s not losing any sleep over it, at work,” the subject of the email stated from Thomson Terry, which is most likely a pseudonym.
The law firm representing Krupa, Clifton-based Sciarra & Catrambone, shot back on Monday, calling the photo “just another sad attack by anonymous cowards.”
“Based upon the uniform which has since been discontinued by the department, Officer Krupa estimates the picture is over four years old,” attorney Charles J. Sciarra said in an email. “Further, based upon the location of the picture and the lighting conditions, Officer Krupa believes the time frame is after her shift ended and before evening Municipal Court commenced, and it was common for her to stick around in between her obligations.”
In a letter sent to Police Director James LeTellier on Oct. 17, an attorney for Sciarra & Catrambone warned of disciplinary actions against Krupa.
“I do not see any manner in which Hightstown will be able to sustain the charges against Officer Krupa,” attorney Christopher Gray stated. “Officer Krupa believes she is experiencing a hostile work environment and that she is being targeted and harassed for being a female in the police department. Further the claims of harassment and hostile work environment have been brought to the attention of the borough yet no remedial action has been taken.”
On Monday, Sciarra backed Krupa’s character.
“Prior to this year Officer Krupa has never been disciplined and certainly never for sleeping on duty or evading her work,” the attorney said in an email. “Indeed, in almost every year since she started working for the department she has led in summonses and arrests.”
When Krupa was hired in December 2006, she became the only female on the roughly 15-member force. Still to this day, she remains the lone woman.
In a separate matter, Sciarra & Catrambone is representing another Hightstown cop.
K-9 officer Frank Marchione has been suspended with pay for 16 months despite no pending charges against him.
The Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed last week it declined to pursue criminal charges against Marchione after the borough’s then-deputy fire chief alleged the officer had sex with his ex-girlfriend while on duty.
A lawsuit has been filed by Marchione against the borough, the police department, Mayor Steven Kirson, borough council, Lt. Frank Gendron and Police Director LeTellier seeking immediate reinstatement, expungement of all records of the disciplinary charges, reimbursement of attorney fees and any other relief the court finds just. The case is scheduled to be heard before state Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Trenton on Nov. 21.
