{"url":"https://policetransparencynj.com/departments/watchung-pd/","summary":"Watchung Police Department, a municipal agency in Somerset County, recorded 13 internal affairs investigations in 2025 involving 11 officers. Its rate of 118.2 per 100 officers came in below the Somerset County median of 141.7 and the 125.9 statewide municipal median. Nine of the 13 investigations detailed for 2025 reported sustained complaints. Other Departmental Rule Violation dominated the allegation categories, with Demeanor and BWC/MVR Violation also logged.\n\nTwo major discipline records appear across the 2020-2025 releases, from 2020 and 2025. Terminations are not reported in those records. Watchung PD received a C on the report card, at the 49th percentile among 171 peers in the 15-29 officers group, 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":"watchung-pd","slug":"watchung-pd","name":"Watchung PD","fullName":"Watchung Police Department","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","type":"municipal-pd","aliases":["Watchung PD-Somerset","Watchung PD|Somerset"]},"totalsByYear":[{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2021,"officers":6,"investigations":7,"incidents":7,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":453}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2022,"officers":10,"investigations":11,"incidents":7,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1474}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2023,"officers":7,"investigations":7,"incidents":6,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1982}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2024,"officers":11,"investigations":17,"incidents":16,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":958}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2025,"officers":11,"investigations":13,"incidents":9,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-agency-totals","sheet":"Sheet1","row":2492}}],"mdRecords":[{"id":"brian-pascoe-watchung-pd-r528","year":2025,"countyName":"Somerset","countySlug":"somerset","agencyId":"watchung-pd","rank":"Officer","firstName":"Brian","lastName":"Pascoe","officerSlug":"brian-pascoe-watchung-pd","terminated":"no","demoted":"no","suspended":"yes","daysSuspended":4,"separatedWhileIAPending":"no","otherSanction":"not_applicable","sustainedCharges":"Multiple Department Rule Violations","description":"During a shift in September of 2024, while Acting Watch Commander, Ofc. Pascoe failed to notify a subordinate officer about a restricted area of their patrol district. During another shift in November of 2024, Ofc. Pascoe himself entered a restricted area of his patrol district. As a result of both of these incidents Ofc. Pascoe was found to have violated multiple department rules. The case was adjudicated in 2025 and Ofc. Pascoe was suspended for 4 twelve hour shifts (total of 48 hours).","sourceRef":{"file":"major-discipline-2020-2025","sheet":"Major Discipline Data","row":528}},{"id":"sean-bouchard-watchung-pd-r2929","year":2020,"countyName":"Somerset","countySlug":"somerset","agencyId":"watchung-pd","rank":"Officer","firstName":"Sean","lastName":"Bouchard","officerSlug":"sean-bouchard-watchung-pd","terminated":"no","demoted":"no","suspended":"yes","daysSuspended":90,"separatedWhileIAPending":"not_applicable","otherSanction":"not_reported","sustainedCharges":"not_applicable","description":"Officer Bouchard was suspended for a period of 90 days after being arrested and charged with violations of N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, N.J.S.A. 39:4-96 and N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.2. Those charges were levied following Officer Bouchard’s off-duty, single vehicle motor vehicle accident, where it was determined that he was DWI.","sourceRef":{"file":"major-discipline-2020-2025","sheet":"Major Discipline Data","row":2929}}],"benchmark":{"year":2025,"investigationsPer100Officers":118.18181818181819,"countyMedianPer100":141.73913043478262,"statewideTypeMedianPer100":125.92592592592592,"countyPeerCount":18,"statewideTypePeerCount":445},"iaDetailByYear":[{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2021,"investigations":7,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":3,"Differential Treatment":1,"Excessive Force":1,"Demeanor":2},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":2,"Not Sustained":3,"Exonerated":2},"sustainedInvestigations":0,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-download-2021-2023","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2022,"investigations":11,"allegations":{"Demeanor":6,"Differential Treatment":1,"Other Departmental Rule Violation":2,"BWC/MVR Violation":1,"Vehicular Pursuit Policy Violation":1},"internalDispositions":{"Not Sustained":6,"Sustained":4,"Exonerated":1},"sustainedInvestigations":4,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-download-2021-2023","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2023,"investigations":7,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":5,"Differential Treatment":2},"internalDispositions":{"Exonerated":2,"Not Sustained":2,"Sustained":1,"Administratively Closed":2},"sustainedInvestigations":1,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-download-2021-2023","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2024,"investigations":17,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":11,"Theft":1,"Differential Treatment":1,"Demeanor":4},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":5,"Not Sustained":4,"Unfounded":3,"not_provided":2,"Exonerated":3},"sustainedInvestigations":5,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-investigations-2024-2025","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}},{"agencyId":"watchung-pd","countySlug":"somerset","countyName":"Somerset","year":2025,"investigations":13,"allegations":{"Other Departmental Rule Violation":10,"BWC/MVR Violation":1,"Demeanor":2},"internalDispositions":{"Sustained":9,"Unfounded":2,"Not Sustained":1,"Administratively Closed":1},"sustainedInvestigations":9,"sourceRef":{"file":"ia-investigations-2024-2025","sheet":"Sheet1","row":1}}],"officersInvolvedByYear":{"2024":17,"2025":13},"nonReportingYears":[]}}