Plain-language summary (this site, from the cited record only)
Officer Richard Watkins was suspended for 180 days by the Hamilton Township Police Department in Mercer County in 2020. According to the agency, Watkins misused Division property and was absent without leave from his assigned post without authorization. The record states that he left his assigned post and used a police vehicle to transport his dog. No specific sustained charges were reported.
Synopsis as reported by the agency
Officer was suspended for 180 days for misuse of Division property and being AWOL from assigned post without authorization. The officer left his assigned post and used a police vehicle to transport his dog.
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.
Sources
[1]New Jersey Major Discipline Data, 2020-2025. New Jersey Office of the Attorney General. Sheet "Major Discipline Data", row 2874. Snapshot retrieved 2026-07-03. ↩