Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
In 2025, the Salem County Sheriffs Office suspended Officer David Emel for 180 days. The record states Emel was involved in an off-duty DWI accident that caused property damage to a parked vehicle and was arrested and charged by local police with a DWI offense. Emel pleaded guilty in court to a DWI charge with an accident and received a six month suspension from the department to run concurrent with the suspension of his driver's license. The sustained charge was conduct unbecoming a public employee.
Employee was involved in an off duty DWI accident with property damage to a parked vehicle. He was arrested by the local police department and charged with a DWI offense. Employee pled guilty in court a DWI charge w/ accident. He received a six month suspension from the department to run concurrent with the suspension of his drivers license
Compensation and pension
No confident pension match found. This site links a pension record to a named officer only when the name and the exact employing agency both match a New Jersey Treasury record. Where that bar is not met, nothing is shown rather than a guess. See methodology for how these matches are made and what is withheld.
Similar records
AnalysisComputed by this site from shared agency, year, charge category, and sanction outcome. Not a legal or factual equivalence.
Can Ozdemir · Salem County Sheriff's Department · 2020
Sustained charge(s): Obedience to Laws and Regulations, Department and Non department vehicles, Insubordination, Written Directive System
same year · similar sanction outcome
Bria Hill · Atlantic City Police Department · 2025
Suspended 60 days
Sustained charge(s): Insubordination, Uniform Policy, Neglect of Duty, Truthfulness
same year · similar sanction outcome
Questions and answers
What is a summary of David Emel's major discipline record?
In 2025, the Salem County Sheriffs Office suspended Officer David Emel for 180 days. The record states Emel was involved in an off-duty DWI accident that caused property damage to a parked vehicle and was arrested and charged by local police with a DWI offense. Emel pleaded guilty in court to a DWI charge with an accident and received a six month suspension from the department to run concurrent with the suspension of his driver's license. The sustained charge was conduct unbecoming a public employee.
What is David Emel's major discipline record at Salem County Sheriff's Department?
David Emel has one major discipline record at Salem County Sheriff's Department in the New Jersey Attorney General's 2020-2025 releases, from 2025. These are final, adjudicated actions, not allegations.
Does David Emel's record show a termination?
The major discipline records shown here do not report a termination for David Emel at Salem County Sheriff's Department.
How does Salem County Sheriff's Department score on this site's report card?
This site's report card places Salem County Sheriff's Department in the second-highest fifth of its peer group on reported internal affairs volume and discipline severity. The grade is analysis by this site, not an official rating, and it describes the department, not David Emel individually.
Sources
[1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 520. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03. ↩