Skip to content

Officer record · As reported by the employing agency

Michael Bender

Vineland Police Department · 3 records · 2025

Suspended 15 daysmost recent record, 2025 · as reported

Bender has 3 sustained major discipline records from Vineland PD, all from 2025. The records include a suspension. Sustained charges across the records include: Neglect of Duty, Police Officer Duties, Performance of Duty, Work Expectations, Prohibited Activity on Duty, Discipline Authority; Insubordination; Neglect of Duty, Police Officer Duties, Performance of Duty, Work Expectations, Prohibited Activity on Duty, Discipline Authority.

Major discipline records

Major discipline · 2025[1]

Suspended 10 days

Plain-language summary

Written by this site from the cited record only.

Officer Michael Bender of the Vineland Police Department received a 10-day suspension for neglect of duty and related performance violations. On May 20, 2024, Bender fell asleep during and after his lunch break and remained off radio at his residence for approximately 3 hours and 25 minutes without monitoring radio communications. He also did not respond to a fellow officer's request for assistance. The matter was settled in June 2025, and Bender received a monetary fine or loss of pay.

Rank as reported
Officer (see this rank)
Sustained charge(s)
  • Police Officer Duties
  • Performance of Duty
  • Work Expectations
  • Prohibited Activity on Duty
  • Discipline Authority
Other sanction
Monetary fine or loss of pay
Separated while IA pending
No

Synopsis as reported by the agency

On 5-20-2024, Officer M. Bender fell asleep during and after his lunch break. Officer M. Bender was off radio and remained at his residence for approximately 3 hours and 25 minutes, failing to properly monitor radio communications. In addition, Officer M. Bender purposely did not respond to a request for assistance by a fellow officer. Officer Bender received a 10 day suspension. This was settled in June 2025.

Major discipline · 2025[2]

Suspended 5 days

Plain-language summary

Written by this site from the cited record only.

A separate record for Officer Michael Bender of the Vineland Police Department documents a 5-day suspension for insubordination. On May 1, 2024, Bender was assigned to a proactive detail in center city on which officers took turns as lead investigator. When it was Bender's turn, he refused and defied his supervisor's orders. The matter was settled in June 2025, and he received a monetary fine or loss of pay.

Rank as reported
Ofiicer (see this rank)
Sustained charge(s)
Other sanction
Monetary fine or loss of pay
Separated while IA pending
No

Synopsis as reported by the agency

On 5-1-2024, Officer M. Bender, was assigned to a proactive detail in center city to deter crime and apprehend law violators. Each officer working the detail would take turns to be the lead investigator. When it was Officer M. Bender's turn, he purposely and knowingly refused and defied his supervisor's orders. Officer M. Bender received a 5 day suspension. This was settled in June 2025.

Major discipline · 2025[3]

Suspended 15 days

Plain-language summary

Written by this site from the cited record only.

A third record for Officer Michael Bender of the Vineland Police Department documents a 15-day suspension for neglect of duty and related performance violations. On May 10, 2024, Bender dispatched himself as a backup officer to an active restraining order violation call but did not begin responding until 8 minutes later. After being instructed to go home, he disregarded the direct order and showed up at the scene. The matter was settled in June 2025, and he received a monetary fine or loss of pay.

Rank as reported
Officer (see this rank)
Sustained charge(s)
  • Police Officer Duties
  • Performance of Duty
  • Work Expectations
  • Prohibited Activity on Duty
  • Discipline Authority
Other sanction
Monetary fine or loss of pay
Separated while IA pending
No

Synopsis as reported by the agency

On 5-10-2024, Officer M. Bender dispatched himself as a backup officer to an active violation of a restraining order call. Officer M. Bender did not begin responding to the call until 8 minutes later. Officer M. Bender showed zero sense of urgency or concern with providing back up in a timely manner. Officer M. Bender was then instructed to go home. He disregarded his direct order and showed up the scene anyway. Officer M. Bender received a 15 day suspension. This was settled in June 2025.

Similar records

AnalysisComputed by this site from shared agency, year, charge category, and sanction outcome. Not a legal or factual equivalence.
  • Justin Levari · Vineland Police Department · 2025

    Suspended 10 days

    Sustained charge(s): Neglect of Duty, Squad Sergeant Duties and Responsibilities.

    same agency · same year · similar charge category · similar sanction outcome

  • Lukkas Perez · Vineland Police Department · 2025

    Suspended 10 days

    Sustained charge(s): Neglect of Duty, NJ AG Guidelines and VPD Policy on Domestic Violence Investigations.

    same agency · same year · similar charge category · similar sanction outcome

  • Julian Cuellar · Atlantic City Police Department · 2025

    Suspended 10 days

    Sustained charge(s): Relief, Performance of Duty, Neglect of Duty, Body Worn Camera

    same year · similar charge category · 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 charge category · similar sanction outcome

  • Richard Kirk · Bergen County Sheriff's Department · 2025

    Suspended 15 days

    Sustained charge(s): 4A:2-2.3(a) 1 - Incompetency, Inefficiency or Failure to Perform Duties 4A:2-2.3(a) 6 - Conduct Unbecoming a Public Employee 4A:2-2.3(a) 7

    same year · similar charge category · similar sanction outcome

Other officers at Vineland Police Department

9 other named officers with reported major discipline records at this agency. Major discipline is final and post-appeal, as reported by the agency.

All 9 at the Vineland Police Department page

Compensation and pension

Active member · NJ Treasury YourMoney[4]

This site: records-based match

Base salary (pension basis)
$82,146
Pension fund
Police and Firemen's Retirement System (PFRS)
Reported years of service
8 years, 4 months

How to read this

The amount is as reported by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury in its YourMoney pension data, as of March 31, 2026. It is the pension-basis figure and may not include overtime, accrued leave, stipends, or other pay. The link between this officer and this pension record is a records-based match at high confidence (exact name and exact employing agency), not a certified identity. If it is wrong, we will remove it: corrections.

Questions and answers

What is a summary of Michael Bender's major discipline record?

Bender has 3 sustained major discipline records from Vineland PD, all from 2025. The records include a suspension. Sustained charges across the records include: Neglect of Duty, Police Officer Duties, Performance of Duty, Work Expectations, Prohibited Activity on Duty, Discipline Authority; Insubordination; Neglect of Duty, Police Officer Duties, Performance of Duty, Work Expectations, Prohibited Activity on Duty, Discipline Authority.

What is Michael Bender's major discipline record at Vineland Police Department?

Michael Bender has 3 major discipline records at Vineland Police Department in the New Jersey Attorney General's 2020-2025 releases, from 2025. These are final, adjudicated actions, not allegations.

What is Michael Bender's base salary on record?

Michael Bender's reported base salary is $82,146, from New Jersey Treasury YourMoney data, matched to this officer at high confidence. Michael Bender has 8 years, 4 months of reported service.

How large is Vineland Police Department, the department Michael Bender worked for?

Vineland Police Department reported 147 sworn officers to the FBI for 2025. This is department-level context from the FBI's Law Enforcement Employees census, not a statement about Michael Bender individually.

Sources

  1. [1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 273. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03.
  2. [2]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 274. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03.
  3. [3]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 275. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03.
  4. [4]YourMoney Active Pension Members (PFRS/SPRS subset). New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Row 223484, snapshot as of March 31, 2026. Derived from the public YourMoney Active Pension Members dataset, https://www.yourmoney.nj.gov/.
  5. [5]FBI Law Enforcement Employees (LEE), New Jersey subset. Federal Bureau of Investigation. Row 8283. Derived from the public Law Enforcement Employees (LEE) / Police Employee Data dataset (1960-2025), https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/.