{"url":"https://policetransparencynj.com/departments/somerset-co-sheriffs-dept/","summary":"The Somerset County Sheriff's Department reported 19 internal affairs investigations in 2025, up from 14 in 2024, with 16 officers named in those cases. Its rate of 118.8 per 100 officers matched the Somerset County median of 118.8 and ran above the 115.2 median for sheriff agencies, a difference that can reflect more misconduct or a fuller record of complaints. Seven of the 19 investigations detailed for 2025 reported sustained complaints. Other Departmental Rule Violation accounted for 15 of the cases, with False Documentation/Falsifying A Report (Criminal) and BWC/MVR Violation each cited once.\n\nThree major discipline records appear in the 2020-2025 releases, from 2020, 2023 and 2024, none of them terminations. Somerset Co Sheriffs Dept received a B on the report card, at the 26th percentile among 21 peers in the group of all sheriff agencies, a medium-confidence grade.","note":"Compiled from New Jersey Attorney General public data by an independent project; not a government source. Every value is as reported, with its sourceRef. Method: https://policetransparencynj.com/methodology/","data":{"agency":{"id":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","slug":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","name":"Somerset Co Sheriffs Dept","fullName":"Somerset County Sheriff's Department","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","type":"sheriff","aliases":["Somerset Co Sheriffs Dept-Somerset","Somerset County Sheriffs Office|Somerset"]},"totalsByYear":[{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2021,"officers":2,"investigations":2,"incidents":2,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":449}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2022,"officers":13,"investigations":13,"incidents":9,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1470}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2023,"officers":5,"investigations":5,"incidents":5,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1978}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2024,"officers":12,"investigations":14,"incidents":9,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":954}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2025,"officers":16,"investigations":19,"incidents":12,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":2489}}],"mdRecords":[{"id":"alex-rossman-somerset-co-sheriffs-dept-r1277","year":2024,"countyName":"Somerset","countySlug":"somerset","agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","rank":"Sheriff Officer","firstName":"Alex","lastName":"Rossman","officerSlug":"alex-rossman-somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","terminated":"no","demoted":"no","suspended":"yes","daysSuspended":30,"separatedWhileIAPending":"yes","otherSanction":"Monetary fine or loss of pay","sustainedCharges":"3:1.25/Conduct Towards Other Officers, 3:3.2/Subversive Conduct, 3:1.17/Truthfulness","description":"On December 18, 2023 while on duty and in a public setting Officer Rossman verbally confronted a fellow officer by engaging in conversation disparaging her religion and using derogatory terms. Officer Rossman was subsequently suspended without pay for 30 working days and was required to undergo sensitivity training.","sourceRef":{"file":"major-discipline-2020-2025","sheet":"Major Discipline Data","row":1277}},{"id":"eric-rogus-somerset-co-sheriffs-dept-r1874","year":2023,"countyName":"Somerset","countySlug":"somerset","agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","rank":"Officer","firstName":"Eric","lastName":"Rogus","officerSlug":"eric-rogus-somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","terminated":"no","demoted":"no","suspended":"yes","daysSuspended":20,"separatedWhileIAPending":"no","otherSanction":"not_reported","sustainedCharges":"Insubordination and Extra Duty Employment","description":"On October 13, 2022, Officer Eric Rogus received a mandatory overtime shift for October 15, 2022. When issued the mandatory overtime shift, S/O Rogus responded \"What if I was working somewhere else?\" Ultimately, S/O Rogus failed to report for his mandatory overtime shift. The Extray Duty Employment policy states other employment will be requested. No request was made. S/O Rogus was issued a mandatory by a Sergeant to work. He fail to report causing insubordination. S/O Rogus was suspended for 20 days (He relinquished 20 vacation and comp days).","sourceRef":{"file":"major-discipline-2020-2025","sheet":"Major Discipline Data","row":1874}},{"id":"raymond-thompson-somerset-co-sheriffs-dept-r2927","year":2020,"countyName":"Somerset","countySlug":"somerset","agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","rank":"Officer","firstName":"Raymond","lastName":"Thompson","officerSlug":"raymond-thompson-somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","terminated":"no","demoted":"no","suspended":"yes","daysSuspended":25,"separatedWhileIAPending":"not_applicable","otherSanction":"not_reported","sustainedCharges":"not_applicable","description":"Violation of Sick Leave Policy","sourceRef":{"file":"major-discipline-2020-2025","sheet":"Major Discipline Data","row":2927}}],"benchmark":{"year":2025,"investigationsPer100Officers":118.75,"countyMedianPer100":118.75,"statewideTypeMedianPer100":115.15151515151516,"countyPeerCount":1,"statewideTypePeerCount":20},"iaDetailByYear":[{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2021,"investigations":2,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":2},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":2},"sustainedInvestigations":0,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-download-2021-2023","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2022,"investigations":13,"allegations":{"Demeanor":5,"Other Departmental Rule Violation":4,"Theft":3,"Conduct Unbecoming/Discredit To The Agency":1},"internalDispositions":{"Administratively Closed":7,"Exonerated":1,"Sustained":1,"not_provided":4},"sustainedInvestigations":1,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-download-2021-2023","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2023,"investigations":5,"allegations":{"Insubordination/Disobeying An Order":1,"Other Departmental Rule Violation":4},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":1,"not_provided":1,"Exonerated":2,"Not Sustained":1},"sustainedInvestigations":1,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-download-2021-2023","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2024,"investigations":14,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":8,"Demeanor":4,"BWC/MVR Violation":1,"DUI/DWI Off Duty":1},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":3,"Not Sustained":4,"Administratively Closed":5,"not_provided":2},"sustainedInvestigations":3,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-investigations-2024-2025","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"somerset-co-sheriffs-dept","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2025,"investigations":19,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":15,"not_provided":1,"False Documentation/Falsifying A Report (Criminal)":1,"BWC/MVR Violation":1,"Conduct Unbecoming/Discredit To The Agency":1},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":10,"not_provided":2,"Exonerated":3,"Administratively Closed":4},"sustainedInvestigations":7,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-investigations-2024-2025","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}}],"officersInvolvedByYear":{"2024":14,"2025":19},"nonReportingYears":[]}}