Major discipline · 2025[1]
Terminated- Rank as reported
- Patrolman
- Sustained charge(s)
- Misconduct Unfit for Duty, Dishonesty, , a Public Employee, , (violation of department rules & regulations)
- Separated while IA pending
- No
Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Lawrence Township Police Department terminated Patrolman Nieves in 2025. According to the record, Nieves misrepresented his location on numerous dates during his meal break, entered the D&R Canal State Park in violation of Governor Murphy's Executive Order 118, and moved his vehicle's dash camera so that signage prohibiting access was not in view where he met another person. He was terminated after a local hearing and appealed. The matter was folded into a civil litigation complaint and settled in July 2025, with Nieves waiving any right to reinstatement or reemployment.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
Former Officer Hector Nieves was alleged to have: misrepresented his location on numerous dates as a place he either never went to during his meal break or spent only a small portion of his meal break; entered the D&R Canal State Park in violation of Governor Murphy's Executive Order 118 (COVID-19 related order); moved his vehicle's dash camera so that the park entrance signage prohibiting access and the raised canal path were not in view where he met another person in violation of Executive Order 118. Nieves was charged administratively, terminated after a local hearing and appealed the charges. Subsequently, his appeal was subsumed into a civil litigation complaint and the matter was settled in July of 2025 with him waiving the right to reinstatement or reemployment.